Ripples
by noelswonderland
Summary: A picture is worth a thousand words but she won't speak any. Kageyama x OC
1. 夏: error in judgment

**Author's Note:** This story is _much_ different from some that I have written before, it's a very experimental style. I'm definitely hopeful that everyone is in character, if you notice any inconsistencies please let me know and I will do my best to correct them. That said, I'm only up-to-date with the anime at this point and working on catching up with the manga so there could be some discrepancies as a result?

Please note the summary may seem a bit deceptive if read literally, it's meant to be interpreted symbolically. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

_everywhere i see your face_

_shifting constellations gaze _

**夏：error in judgment**

Her fingers fumble with the lens, trying to get it to focus properly. The sweat on her hands makes each movement slippery and clumsy. Just as she is about to snap the photo, her hand slips and she ends up with a picture of the ground rather than the relay that the boys in her class are performing in. Frustrated, she slumps down onto the ground, holding the camera at arms length.

_"Just snap photos as inspiration hits you,"_ the teacher had advised.

The whole reason she's doing this is to avoid anything athletic in the sports festival, and the only way the teacher seemed content to let her off was to rope her into helping out the photography club with photos for the yearbook. He didn't seem to understand that the fine art of photography required far smoother hands than hers.

When she had explained as much to him at the time, he had replied with, _"But don't you take photos all the time around school with your phone? This won't be much different. You're just borrowing equipment from the photography club. You'll get used to it quickly!"_

His confidence had been sorely misplaced. The more she studies the mechanical device in her hands, the more she thinks it doesn't belong there. Taking pictures of the scenery with a phone is completely different than what is expected of her here. Snapping moving objects takes far more finesse.

Although she is supposed to be dedicating herself to taking photos in memory of the sports festival, Yuzuha lifts herself from the grass and starts back toward the school. She cradles the camera in one hand, a strap secured around her neck in case she drops it. God knows how much she would have to pay if she damaged the equipment.

And while for the moment she is forsaking her assigned duty, she decides that a trip to the fountain to take a drink will refresh her. The teacher has to forgive her that at least. She's not running away—this is just a break.

Her free hand sweeps across her forehead, brushing back the curtain of silver hair almost hanging down in her eyes. The chronic bedhead of untamed hair wards off any people who might otherwise think she is approachable. The sloppy, semi-unkempt appearance of her uniform just further reinforces her status as a loner—even if that's not what she _wants_ to be.

Just as she is approaching the fountain, she's mildly startled to see someone already there. She ducks back behind the corner of the building beside her, peering out warily like an animal stalking its prey. Her nervousness subsides initially as she realizes that it's not an upperclassman standing there. But she quickly reassesses her relief when she recognizes the head of raven black hair and that permanent glare that seems to be etched onto his face.

_Kageyama..._

Despite being in the same year, he's in a different class. But of course she still knows who he is. She's overheard a few of the girls from her class talking about him. Though she's not sure what part of that permanent scowl seems to attract them to him.

But then she sees it, as he lifts his head after taking a swig of water from the fountain. He's not frowning at all—in fact, his face looks relaxed. Even though he's not smiling he looks happy—content.

Her breath hitches in her throat as she lifts her camera, stepping out from her corner. He's just standing there without moving, his eyelids shut. If it's like this, then he won't even notice if she takes a picture.

Yuzuha's heart is hammering noisily in her chest as she adjusts the settings, zooms in, and then—_snap!_ The sound of the shutter satisfyingly echoes around her, and she's rewarded the moment the polaroid comes out. She holds it nervously in her hand, waiting impatiently for it to develop.

Yet while she's loitering, she doesn't realize that Kageyama has also heard the noise. At least until she peers up and catches him staring at her. And this time, he doesn't look half as peaceful as before. In fact, his face seems to have contorted into a mild look of surprise and indignation.

"You," he growls out in a low voice as though he has finally realized what happened.

She hops back a step defensively, turning left and right as though trying to find some kind of escape. Finally she settles on a safe route and she peels away, running as fast as her small legs can take her. It feels like she's fleeing for her life—and judging by the noisy sound of pursuit behind her, she may very well be right about that.

Yuzuha keeps the polaroid safely pinched at the edge between two fingers. She desperately wants to see how it developed, but for the moment, she needs to find some way to dodge and _not_ get cornered by the man desperately chasing her.

"You! Wait!"

She darts around a corner, sailing up the stairs as quickly as she can take them. Since she doesn't have much experience with exercise and athletics, she finds herself taking labored breaths as she runs across the metal railing on the second floor of the utility building. A lot of the club rooms are located here. Maybe one of the doors is unlocked and she can go inside, she hopes.

Skidding to a halt at one of the doors, her hand slips as she grasps at the door knob. But much to her relief, it eventually twists open and she's able to dart inside and nudge it shut before Kageyama can round the corner after her. Maybe he won't guess that she disappeared into one of the rooms, but if he does, she has to try to hide inside.

Taking choking breaths, she scans the darkness for anywhere to hide—but this is one of the empty club rooms and there's literally nowhere left for her to run. Her heart drops into her stomach and she shrinks back behind the door, hoping that if he just swings it open and takes a cursory glance inside, he'll miss her.

As expected, the knob rattles as the door swings open. And she knows if he hears her breathing, he'll realize instantly that she's in here. She drops the camera, allowing it to dangle from her neck while she clamps a hand over her mouth to muffle the sound of her noisy exhaling.

The anticipation is too much for Yuzuha and she snaps her eyes shut, desperately waiting out the next several seconds. It's cut short as she hears the sound of an open hand slamming against the wall beside her head, and her eyelids are startled open. She shrinks back as she finds herself on the receiving end of a death glare.

"Oi." He has a scary look in his eyes. "You took a picture of me just now, didn't you?"

She tucks the polaroid behind her skirt, desperate to hide it from his view. No matter what, she doesn't want to give it up. It was the first good picture that she took. "I-it didn't turn out... I l-lost it as I was r-running from you."

"Don't lie," he warns. "I saw you hide it behind your back just now. Hand it over."

As his face presses closer toward her, as though trying to intimidate her, she squeaks. Perspiration is beading across her forehead, sweat pouring down her face. Her social anxiety makes confrontation the most nerve-wracking thing she has ever had to endure. And Kageyama's terrifying presence is the most miserable thing she's ever been met with—especially when he's emitting such a dark aura.

Despite her reluctance to concede to him, she lifts her trembling hand toward him, holding out the polaroid. She hasn't even gotten the opportunity to see it herself, but there isn't much she can do if he's going to demand it. He does have the right. She didn't even ask to take it.

Kageyama swipes it from her the moment he spots it. And he eyes it with a discerning gaze. His cheeks suddenly tint with a rosy color and he glowers at her. "Why were you taking a picture of me?" His voice is measured with frustration, though he's clearly doing his best to restrain his emotion.

"I-I was just going—it was an a-accident," she explains frantically, tripping over her own words. Realizing that what she is saying makes no sense, she makes an attempt to correct it. "I mean, it... I was just..."

"Are... you crying?"

It takes a moment for her to realize that there is indeed tears spilling down her cheeks. She tries desperately to wipe them away with the back of her hand, but they just keep coming. "S-sorry, I... I'm a c-crybaby, so..."

Despite seeming so fierce just moments ago, Kageyama now looks completely defenseless as he watches her silently. In fact, he seems almost bitter about how things have turned out. His lips stretch into a resentful, wry frown as he shoves the polaroid back at her. "Stop crying," he demands.

Almost immediately she sobers up, standing rigidly straight as though she regards him as having the same authority as a teacher with the way he commands her.

"No one else is going to see this, right?"

Technically she is supposed to submit all photos that she takes, whether they're duds or not. But if she admits as much to him now, he's sure to shred it right in front of her. Surely an exception can be made in this instance. She gives a shaky nod of the head. "Y-yeah... just me."

"You want it that bad?"

"I... I do..."

He regards her quizzically, clearly not understanding her desperation for the photograph. "You're weird," he decides as he thrusts the polaroid into her face. "I'll let you keep that, but don't go around taking pictures of people without asking."

The severity of his voice gives the impression that he's issuing a threat. She recoils as she clutches the photograph to her chest. "Y-yeah, o-okay..." There are still tears in the ducts of her eyes as she listens to the echo of his footsteps fading away. And once he's gone, she slumps against the wall and falls to her bottom, finally peeling the photo back to take her first peek at it.

Yuzuha's cheeks color a dark shade of red as she studies it. That expression he was making at that time—it's completely different from what he showed her just now. He looked serene then. The Kageyama just a moment ago was scary and unapproachable, but the one she had photographed is so captivating that she feels her heart thumping. And this time it's not because she's scared or nervous.

—

Intuitively, she realizes that it's wrong. Morally, she realizes that it's wrong. But that doesn't stop her.

"Until how long are you planning on following me?"

Her shoulders tense as she watches him start to turn around. Yuzuha ducks behind the closest corner, too afraid to peer back into the hallway to see if he's looking back in her direction. It's shameful to admit, but she's been following him for the past two days since the sports festival ended.

No matter how much she looks at that picture, she can't believe it's the same person as the one that chased her down after she took it. It's as though she feels compelled to follow him and see him make that expression again so she can confirm that it wasn't her imagination or some error in the photograph when she took it.

"You can't just hide. I know you're there," he says as he peeks around the corner at her, those brows furrowed down against his eyes in an intense glare.

She chokes out a squeak and backpedals, clumsily tripping over her own feet and landing with a noisy thud on the floor. The impact may shock her more than being called out to by Kageyama. Either way, the waterworks start all over again and the tears are swelling in her eyes.

"H-hey, why are you crying again?!"

Those haunting jade eyes of hers peer up at him like an injured fawn, and even Kageyama can't help but flinch away. "Y... you..."

"What is it? You have something to say?"

He sounds even more intimidating when he's trying to coax her to talk. Kageyama probably intends to encourage her to speak her mind, but instead he sounds like a gangster trying to interrogate her. She leaps to her feet and takes a few retreating steps back. "You're scary and mean!" she finally blurts out before running off in the opposite direction, leaving Kageyama standing there, gaping in disbelief.

During lunch, where he might rather not talk about the odd experience, he nevertheless relays it to his teammate as though it's some vain hope that Hinata can contribute some words of wisdom. He ought to know better. He really ought to.

"She's a stalker," Hinata decides.

"I know that!" he snaps back impatiently. Although he's not entirely sure. Do most stalkers recoil in fear the moment they're caught? Aren't they usually more... persistent and crazy than that?

"But you made her cry?"

"I didn't do anything!"

Despite his friend's protestations, Hinata can't help but snort in laughter as he rips through his sandwich. Then an idea occurs to him and his face instantly lights up. "Maybe... she actually likes you? Maybe she's trying to confess?!" He's so excited by the possibility that he nearly leaps out of his chair.

"You have mustard on your chin," Kageyama points out, a vein popping on his forehead.

The redhead's immediate reaction is to wipe it away with the back of his hand but Kageyama throws a small stack of napkins right at his face. Hinata should be annoyed by it, but instead he cracks a grin. "Thanks!" He seems the complete opposite of the girl who is intent on following Kageyama around. Hinata is cheerful, easygoing and resilient. He bounces back from whatever Kageyama says without a second thought.

But this girl...

"Girls are a little bit... delicate?" Sugawara explains thoughtfully when Kageyama seeks him out for advice at practice later that day. "Maybe you should try asking her... nicely." There is a nervous smile on the upperclassman's face as he clarifies with the "nicely," as though he expects Kageyama to rough her up.

"I tried," Kageyama complains, clearly in a foul mood.

"Maybe... you should try smiling at her as you say it?"

That does seem like a more effective approach to the matter. Perhaps if he can go without triggering her fear response, he can get more than a muttered jumble of words out of her. Kageyama simply isn't accustomed to such squeamish people.

So the following day...

"Why are you following me?" His lips stretch out into what he thinks is a a pleasant smile. In reality, that dark aura is still emanating from him and the way his lips stretch out is clearly strained by murderous intent in Yuzuha's eyes.

"I... I'm sorry!" she screams out along with the tears that have started spouting from her eyes again, and in moments she's dashing away at light speed.

Dumbfounded, Kageyama stares after her without a clue as to what he must have done this time to have scared her off. It seems like no matter what approach he takes to trying to rectify this situation, it ends with him being the bad guy.

So this time at practice, he approaches the only other spineless person he knows in school.

"Senpai, how do I approach a girl if she's scared of me?"

Asahi shrinks back, startled at being addressed so suddenly. "H-huh? Sorry, you're asking me for advice?" His eyes go round in shock.

Kageyama gives a sharp nod.

"Well, uh... maybe you should start by not glaring...?"

"I tried smiling at her."

Those brown eyes of his avert to the ground, and his jaw tightens. "Uh, Kageyama... maybe smiling isn't the best..." It's as though Asahi can recall the times in the past that Kageyama smiled at him or Hinata—and how terrifying it had been. There was nothing _kind_ about the way Kageyama smiled. In fact, if the ace had to guess, he was quite certain that Kageyama didn't know how to wear a _friendly, welcoming_ smile.

"It's not?" Kageyama's voice hitches in obvious surprise. He seems puzzled by this conflicting advice.

"Maybe... in a soft voice?" Asahi advises uncertainly.

"I see..."

He implements this idea the very next day at lunch time when he catches her following after him again as he's on his way to the cafeteria.

"Why... are you following me?" His voice is soft, he's sure. It's meant to sound almost sugary sweet, but perhaps for that reason it's twice as devastating when Yuzuha hears it. It's as though it's some kind of foreboding sign of the apocalypse—like he's trying to coat his murderous intent by sounding nice.

She screeches like a banshee and runs away this time without even a coherent word, and he's left standing there with his mounting frustration.

Although the next person he intends to ask should be the captain of the team, but Sawamura appears to be too busy. That leaves him with two of the most unreliable upperclassmen, and it's coin flip as to who would be more unhelpful than the other.

"You're asking me for advice?!" Nishinoya's face lights up as though he's crossed some kind of remarkable milestone, much like when Hinata first addressed him as "senpai."

Kageyama averts his eyes. He instantly assesses this as a mistake and inwardly admonishes himself for being stupid enough to ever approach someone _this_ annoying for advice. It's clear to him that Nishinoya is as equally inexperienced as he is with girls, if not significantly worse.

"Corner her!"

"...Hah?"

"Yeah!" Nishinoya declares with a clenched fist raised into the air. "If you corner her, then she'll have to face you!"

_Won't that just scare her more?_ He recalls the first time they "met," and how she had been pressed up against the wall with her eyes round in fear as though she thought he might tear her to shreds. Every time she had opened her mouth, she'd stuttered or stumbled with her words too.

"Oi! Tanaka!"

Kageyama blanches as Nishinoya calls over the other _unhelpful_ upperclassman.

"Kageyama is asking about—"

He shoves a hand outward, clamping it against the shorter boy's mouth. That death glare appears on his face again as he smiles down at his "senpai." Even the usually oblivious Nishinoya freezes up as he realizes just how deadly serious Kageyama is about keeping this from getting out to the entire team. Although in hindsight, Kageyama realizes that by approaching Nishinoya, it is inevitable that everyone else will quickly find out.

—

The polaroid peeks out at her from the safety of her desk, and she smiles at the photograph as she waits impatiently for the lunch bell to ring again. Even though she's perpetually terrified of the boy in the picture, she can't shake her habit of following after him at lunch. By now she realizes that it's inevitable that he will confront her again. He has tried several days in a row to attempt to ask her why she seems so intent on him, but each time her anxiety seizes her and she's fled the scene without a second thought.

She sighs wistfully to herself. While it's true that Kageyama's face is scary by itself, it's only because he's always glaring or wearing that terrifying smile. If he would just look at her like he did in this picture, she thinks she could talk to him.

Alas, Yuzuha recognizes how unrealistic such an expectation would be. It's better if she can just tell him honestly how she feels. She has realized it in these past few days as she has followed him around and watched him struggle with how to confront her without sending her running with her tail tucked between her legs. She realizes that despite how rough he seems on the outside, there's something deeper inside. He is considerate in his own way, even though he struggles with it.

When the bell rings, she slips the photograph back into the confines of her desk and stands abruptly. She made extra for her bento box today. It's far too advanced for her, she realizes, because she'll never be able to invite him to eat with her, even if she has secretly come to develop some feelings for him. For someone as skiddish and cowardly as she is, Yuzuha reasons that she's better off with her fantasies than the real person. Actually talking to Kageyama is too scary.

Regardless of the futility, she carries the wrapped lunch box off as she darts out the door, scrambling off toward Kageyama's classroom. She peers out from around the corner and watches for him to come out. He's always alone when he comes out, or occasionally accompanied by that fiery redhead that laughs so obnoxiously that it even hurts _her_ ears. But although Kageyama seems snappy and impatient with the other boy, there is that occasional look of satisfaction in his eyes that makes her realize that they're definitely friends.

Today plays out like any other. At least until she realizes that he's taking a long, winding way to the cafeteria this time. In fact, she's beginning to wonder if he hasn't decided to go eat outside. Or maybe he's trying to lure her out? Or shake her off? Or—

While she's preoccupied by her own paranoia, she doesn't realize until it's too late that he's started approaching her. Instinctively, she turns to run—but since he's already closed off her escape, the only thing to do is retreat in the opposite direction. But that turns out a futile effort, because the door in front of her ends up being locked. That's when she realizes that she's been trapped.

"Hey."

She stiffens at the sound of his voice and drops her lunch box to the ground, curling instantly into the fetal position as she clamps her hands over her ears. "I'm sorry!" she yells out instantly as though her apology will convince him to leave her alone.

Rather than snap at her or threaten her as she anticipates, he kneels down beside her and grabs her lunch box. He holds it securely before he looks at her, those intense, narrowed eyes staring her down.

"S-scary!" she squeaks out as she shrinks back, snapping her eyes shut.

"That's just how my face looks," he says, clearly irritated at constantly being labeled "scary" and "mean."

Yuzuha gulps, swallowing the lump that has formed in the back of her throat. And she peeks out between the fingers that are covering her face. "Th-that's not true," she mumbles quietly in protest. "K-Kageyama-kun's face is... it's... s-serene..."

"Serene?" He chokes back in disbelief.

"S-sorry!"

There is a pause before he heaves a sigh, realizing that he must have snapped at her. It's clear that he's unaccustomed to dealing with such people, and he hangs his head, rubbing at the back of his neck as though he's trying to calm himself down. His temper is too short, and he's too easily frustrated. It makes talking with her the biggest test of his patience that he's ever had to endure.

"I... I think it's... refreshing," she tests out nervously. Each word sounds more uncertain than the last, but she's peeking out at him again. "I... I like... your face..." The moment Yuzuha realizes exactly what she has said, her cheeks rapidly heat up, and her heart is hammering so noisily in her chest. A voice booms in her head, telling her to flee.

A hand clamps down on her shoulder, locking her in place. "Is that true?" He seems skeptical as he studies her expression.

"I'm not lying," she says finally. It's the first time she hasn't stumbled with her words. But instead, she has tears already forming in her eyes.

"Don't cry again."

"Sor—"

"And stop apologizing."

Yuzuha stiffens at the command, unsure of what she should do. She blinks rapidly, trying to hold the tears back. But it's hard—she's been so used to sobbing and balling whenever anything frightened her or made her nervous. It's never been something she could help.

"You... do you like me? Is that why you keep following me?"

Since she suspects if she opens her mouth, she won't be able to restrain the tears anymore, Yuzuha just gives a small nod to confirm what he's asking. But since she can already anticipate what he's going to say, she cuts in before he can respond. "C-can I... not follow you anymore?"

He seems to be at a loss. "Don't you have any friends?" he asks finally.

"Um..." Looking abashed, she shakes her head. "I don't... have any."

This makes things more difficult. It is annoying to be followed by someone that doesn't even seem to want to communicate with him. Although talking to her is also the biggest strain on his patience that he's ever experienced. If he weighs the two, he supposes her following him is _slightly_ less annoying than having to talk to her. And she doesn't look like the type that can be easily discouraged. Considering the fact that she doesn't even have any friends, he almost feels pressured. That seems backwards—he's supposed to be as cold-hearted as so many people seem to think he is.

"I-it's okay!" she reassures quickly, as though she's noticed him trying to process all of this information to come to a decision. "I'm... fine not having any friends. I-I won't ask Kageyama-kun to be my friend. That would be... too much... I just want to... follow you."

"..." That makes even less sense, and it's completely _strange._ Who would want to just _follow_ someone without making contact with them?

"I'm... asking for something impossible, right?"

He is silent for a moment. This whole situation doesn't quite make sense to him. Kageyama is used to something he can straightforwardly rationalize. That's what makes volleyball so much easier. He may be an athletic genius, but when it comes to his social skills, he's rather poor. Being friends with this girl really isn't anywhere on his priority list and he doesn't have even the slightest inclination to humor her request.

"It's fine," he concedes at last. "But only for a while. Until you get over being terrified of me."

"Y-yes!" she exclaims excitedly, a clear look of delight on those gentle features of hers. Those jade irises regard him fondly as she gives him a small smile. "Th-thank you, Kageyama-kun. I think... I can start trying to work up the courage to talk to you more this way..."

He might rather she not. Frankly, Kageyama isn't really sure how he should feel. This isn't the first time someone has been scared of him, and he's not particularly pleased with the idea that he's utterly terrifying. Talking to this girl is almost like accepting the ultimate challenge for him to calm himself and talk to others reasonably. It's like a test that he can put himself through to strengthen his communication skills. If he looks at it like that, it's not entirely unacceptable.

At least that's what he thinks until practice that night, where everyone seems to notice a certain unwanted presence peeking in from outside the gym.

"Kageyama, you have a stalker," Tsukishima announces to him.

"I know that."

"Go take care of it."

The problem definitely hasn't been resolved at all. If anything, she took his reluctant acceptance of her plea as license to follow him _more_.


	2. 夏: one step backward, two forward

**Author's Note: **Terrible, terrible writer's block has been plaguing me for several weeks now. I'm hoping I manage to get over it soon, but it's the most frustrating thing in the world. (On top of balancing fic writing with a social life and uni, orz). Anyways, sorry for my rambling, I hope you enjoy the new chapter and thank you for being patient during the wait!

* * *

_look at the people all around you_

_the way you feel is something everybody goes through_

**夏：one step backward, two forward**

Kageyama has the distinct feeling that his stalker problem has somehow developed into an even larger issue. It's just an inkling at first, but today he's certain of it.

"D-do you... know his favorite food?"

"Ah? Are you planning to make something for him?!"

That idiotic teammate of his appears to have aligned himself with said stalker, and as they're all standing in the midst of the hallway, Kageyama regards the two warily. They are engaged in animated chatter with each other, and as usual Hinata is loud enough that Kageyama at least catches half of the conversation. The other person, whose name he still doesn't know, seems to be muttering meekly.

"N-no!" she exclaims back in a whisper, frantically waving her hands in front of her face. "I.. I couldn't p-possibly. B-but I'd like to kn-know..."

Just as Hinata is about to disclose some unnecessary information to someone who has no business knowing, Kageyama seizes his collar and holds him up like he's scolding a mischievous kitten. "We're going to lunch," he seethes out in a voice so deathly quiet that the girl suddenly takes a retreating step before scurrying off to the nearest corner to hide.

"You scared Yuzu-chan off!" Hinata complains in disappointment.

"I didn't do anything to her!"

"You raised your voice."

A vein bulges on Kageyama's forehead. Is he supposed to take responsibility because she gets scared easily? That's clearly _not_ his fault. "Forget it, I'll go eat without you." Dumping his teammate unceremoniously, he dusts his hands before marching off.

Hinata doesn't miss a beat. The redhead charges off after the setter, quickly matching the taller man's pace. "I think we should invite Yuzu-chan to eat lunch with us!"

"There's no way she could eat in the cafeteria," Kageyama reasons. "It's too noisy."

"Maybe we should eat on the rooftop...?"

He wants to dismiss the idea as a pain in the ass, but at the same time, he finds it a little annoying. She seems to have no problem approaching someone as loud and obnoxious as Hinata, yet the moment he takes a step toward her, she flinches and cowers. Is he really that bad? Her reactions are making him develop a complex.

"So... her name is Yuzu?" Kageyama is more or less mumbling to himself when he says it.

"Sakurai Yuzuha," Hinata says helpfully.

It disgruntles him to think that the redhead was the first one to learn her name, when the one she has been stalking this whole time is him. But he hasn't hardly had an opportunity to get more than a few words out to her.

His irritation continues into the next day, and so when lunch time approaches, he resolves himself that he _will_ eat lunch with her on the rooftop even though it's an inconvenience. This is a taste of his patience, he reminds himself. If he can deal with someone like Yuzuha, then he can deal with any teammate they might ever have. He will be a better setter for it.

"Sakurai—"

"Y-y-you know my n-name!" she squeaks in surprise, and instinctively she darts behind the nearest corner, keeping a safe distance of ten feet between the two of them. Even then he can still see the tears welling up in her eyes.

It may be best to reconsider his plan, but the worst that can happen is rejection. Even if he feels reluctant now, the only thing he can do is try. "Let's eat on the rooftop." Although he intended to ask, it comes out as a command instead. His poor communication skills are at work once again.

"Impossible," she whispers with a stricken look.

Hinata peeks out from behind Kageyama, a grin stretching out across his face as he takes a couple of large bounding steps toward her. "Yuzu-chan, don't you want to eat on the roof? I'd like to see what you have in your lunch box."

Of course that idiot has an ulterior motive. If he's so shameless like that, there's no way any sane human being would ever consent—

"O-okay..."

Kageyama's face darkens visibly in disbelief. Somehow he feels like he's been given the worst indirect insult he has ever received. Shouldn't she be more willing when he's the one asking her? Although he didn't exactly _ask_.

Once they have netted their own lunches in the cafeteria, Hinata leads them all up to the rooftop. Yet to Kageyama's dismay, once they're there, Yuzuha seats herself a solid ten feet away from Hinata and Kageyama, seeming perfectly content with the distance.

"Yuzu-chan, you're not going to eat over here?"

"I... I c-can't..."

Despite the fact that he keeps trying to remind himself to exercise the patience that he already knows he doesn't have, Kageyama struggles not to say something to her. How can she function in every day life if she keeps everyone at arms length? This isn't even arms length at this point—it's _much_ farther!

The other two in his company seem painfully oblivious to his mounting frustration. If anything, Hinata seems to share some understanding with Yuzuha. He even nods sympathetically in response to her refusal.

"Then... can I at least see your lunch box?"

"S-sure, if you want to come over here."

There is the occasional stutter, but it's obvious that she feels the most comfortable with Hinata. How? Why? No matter how Kageyama tries to rationalize it, he simply can't. It's unfathomable. Most people who encounter Hinata seem to share his sentiment that the boy is incredibly loud and obnoxious. That should be frightening, right? Shouldn't she be frightened of that? But instead she's smiling nervously up at him as he oohs and aahs over the food in her lunch box. Even Kageyama, who is completely uninterested, can't help but feel a twinge in his chest. Maybe it's his competitive nature, because he feels like he's losing to Hinata of all people.

"I want to see," he says finally, standing up.

His declaration seems to startle Yuzuha who suddenly slams the lid on the bento box. Her cheeks flush bright red as she shakes her head. "N-no...! Y-you can't see it..."

"Isn't it because she likes you?" Sugawara later suggests at practice when he catches Kageyama mumbling to himself in complaint. It's not his intention to seek advice from his senpai this time. It just so happens that the older boy overhears him as they're warming up for practice.

"She's terrified of me. She won't even look me in the eyes."

The only response is a nervous chuckle on behalf of the other setter. "Well... you can be a bit intimidating sometimes," he admits with a shrug. "If you're patient with her, she'll probably warm up to you in time."

"She sure is getting chummy with Hinata."

"Isn't that fine? If the two of them got together then that would solve the problem of her following you everywhere. It was a bother to you in the first place, wasn't it?" Although there doesn't seem to be any ulterior motive, the way Sugawara words it is as though he's trying to drive a point home to Kageyama.

There is something about that situation that simply does not sit right with Kageyama. He's not entirely sure what it is, but thinking about Hinata and Yuzuha getting closer just irritates him. Perhaps it's because he feels like he's having something taken away from him. That should be fine considering her attention wasn't something he was pining after to begin with. She was the one who one-sidedly declared that she liked him.

He sighs, completely exasperated.

—

"K-K-K... K... Ka..." Saying his name turns out to be a lot more difficult than she thought it would be. But if she doesn't blurt it out soon, he will continue walking to the cafeteria without looking back. Yuzuha snaps her eyes shut and finally lets the name tumble right out of her mouth, perhaps a bit louder than intended. "Kageyama-kun!"

That tall head of black hair stops suddenly, and he peers back at her with furrowed brows. It makes him look like he's glaring at her again. She's not sure why he always has to wear such a terrifying expression when he's just walking around normally.

Nonetheless, she has resolved herself to ask him today. It has to be today for sure. She thrusts her lunch box out in front of her. "P-p-please... rooftop... lunch..." Not quite as coherent as she might like, but she hopes that the message has gotten through to him.

"You want to eat on the rooftop? Together?"

Her head jerks.

"Hinata can't go. He was called to the teacher's office. So it would be just the two of us."

The fact that he brings up the redhead seems to catch her by surprise, but she passes it off as courtesy that he's giving her this advisory. Yuzuha dismisses it—she likes Hinata well enough and his presence does act as a buffer between her and Kageyama, but she's been working up her courage for this for some time. "Th-that... is fine," she mumbles finally, unable to look him in the eye.

Although he has his doubts, Kageyama relents. Being alone with her will probably be slightly less frustrating since Hinata isn't there. It does make him feel a little assured that she seems so intent on asking him today, but it is entirely unexpected. He feels a little apprehensive as he follows behind her as they make their way up the stairs to the rooftop.

Once there, she quickly distances herself from where he elects to take his seat. But at least the distance this time is almost half of what it was the last time they ate together. Perhaps as a result of that, she seems more nervous than usual. Her hands are trembling and she keeps looking over at him like a startled deer.

"U-um... do..."

"Yeah?"

She tenses up the moment he says that, and he regrets immediately not just waiting for her to finish her question. But the way she frets about it is about as bad as Hinata at their first practice game. It makes Kageyama want to slap some sense into her. Yet if he so much as scooted closer, he knows she would flee to the hills in fear.

"D-do... y-you want to see... m-my lunch... b-box?"

Is it really necessary to stutter _that_ much for a simple question? He stares over at her for several moments. If he's being honest, he doesn't really care about her lunch box. If he says as much, he expects that her avoidance of him will increase tenfold. "Sure..."

The excitement that registers on her face takes him by surprise. Her lips are peeled back in a wide smile as she scrambles to get up. Then it's one hesitant, cautious step after another until she's right in front of him. Her face is burning a brilliant shade of red as she lifts the lid off of her lunch box and holds it out toward him.

There's nothing particularly amazing about it. He has seen a girl's lunch box before, mostly by chance as he passed by some of his classmates' desks during lunch. But it's clearly intended to be cute. There are faces drawn on the onigiri, and the weiners are cut into an octopus shape.

It occurs to him that this might be the appropriate time to pay her a compliment. What had Hinata said the other day to her that had her smiling at him? "It looks good." No that was definitely not what that idiot had said—he had exuberantly declared that it was so delicious and then he asked shamelessly if he could have a bite.

"Y-you think so?" Tears begin to well up as she lifts her hand and nervously smooths her bangs down over her eyes as though to cover them. "S-sorry... I don't mean to c-cry..."

"Why are you crying?"

"Because... Kageyama-kun said something nice to me!" She struggles to smile through her tears as she sniffles.

This shouldn't be such a revolutionary thing that she gets so emotional about it. He can't help but be puzzled at her overreaction. Does it mean that much for him to say something so simple and bland? Doesn't she worry that he's being insincere and just paying her lips ervice? But then again, Yuzuha has followed him around enough by now to know that he's so blunt that he would find it impossible to lie to someone for the sake of their feelings.

"Y-you think it's weird... th-that I'm crying... don't you..."

"Un." He gives a nod, because although he knows that it may send her flailing away from him again, it's not within his nature to be dishonest when asked directly.

Those deep green irises scan the area and slowly Yuzuha turns away. But then she sinks down to the ground. "I-it's easier to talk this way," she explains hastily, her back facing him. "U-um... Kageyama-kun... would you mind listening to a story?"

"A story?" he echoes back.

Taking his question as incentive to continue, she starts. "Originally... I went to a middle school in Tokyo. M-my... parents had to move here because... of me..." Her voice trails off, and for a moment as she bends her head. He wonders if she's not wiping away some tears. There's a tremor in her voice each time she speaks, as though she's struggling with each word.

It seems like she is waiting for him to respond before she continues. "Why because of you?"

"I was... bullied a lot in middle school." She grows quieter as she says this, as though she is ashamed to admit it. "Even... e-even if you ask me why... I couldn't say... I don't get it myself. What did I do wrong...? Why did I deserve to be treated like that...? B-but I know I must've done something..."

Certainly she strikes him as an eccentric with the way she snapped a picture of him out of nowhere, darted off, and then proceeded to stalk him afterward. Just the same, Kageyama can't bring himself to agree with her. "There's no good reason," he says, feeling a bit indignant on her behalf. Yet even as he says that, he thinks of how his teammates treated him—and he can't help but wonder if she didn't also do something to motivate her classmates to shun her, as he did.

"S-sorry... I rambled a lot. Kageyama-kun must be bored..." She peers back over her shoulder, smiling apologetically at him. Those bangs of hers are almost hanging down in her eyes again, hiding away some of the swelling from all of her crying.

"Is that why you're scared of me?" Although it doesn't explain why she's not as afraid of Hinata.

Those thin, pale lips of hers falter slightly. Her eyes widen for a moment before she finally shakes her head. "P-partly, b-but... I... I get really nervous b-because... I... l-like... y-you..." She quickly turns away once she's said that, her hand immediately flying to her bangs to smooth them over her eyes again as though it will hide her embarrassment.

Considering that Kageyama has had to struggle with his own insecurities as a result of what he went through, he feels as though he can sympathize with her on some level. Although he still can't say that he understands her. There is something decidedly different between sympathizing and understanding a person.

"Why do you like me?" It occurs to him that he has never actually asked her this question, but it seems pertinent given that she has never given a reason. Nor have they had enough interaction to warrant such a confession.

Her shoulders roll forward and she's quiet for a moment. "Because... Kageyama-kun is actually... a really caring person."

Kageyama quickly comes to the conclusion that she is delusional. If he asked Hinata to describe him, caring is the last word that he can imagine the shorter boy using. Even if he asked all of his teammates, that is not a word they would use for him. Obsessive, perfectionist, short-tempered... Now that he thinks about it, they would probably rattle off a list of insults.

The sound of a giggle interrupts his thoughts, and he realizes belatedly that Yuzuha is actually looking back at him again. For once, she looks almost serene rather than perpetually terrified. The sun is hitting her just right, and the silver hair of hers almost seems to be glittering in the light.

"You let me go after I took that picture. You didn't tell me to go away even when I was following after you every day..." _You still do that,_ he thinks silently to himself. "And you listened to me just now. That's why... I think you're really caring, Kageyama-kun."

The most extraordinary part is not how cute she can be when she's not fidgeting, hiding, and fumbling, but the fact that she is actually addressing him without stumbling over her words constantly. There wasn't a single stutter in those sentences. If he didn't know better, he would think he was talking to a completely different person.

But just as quickly she reverts to her usual self, stuttering in apology. "S-sorry! The lunch hour... i-it's almost o-over and y-you haven't even..." Her eyes land on the untouched sandwich in his hand, and her expression contorts visibly. It looks like she's about to cry again.

"Don't cry," he snaps at her without thinking.

She jolts backward, traumatized at the fact that he raised his voice at her. Then, despite his command, the liquid wells up and starts pouring down her face. "I... I... s-sorry!" She abruptly stands and scrambles for the door, sobbing loudly the whole way.

"It... is kind of scary when you yell," Asahi admits during practice later when Kageyama approaches him about it.

His tendency to snap when he loses his patience is a clear flaw. He will have to observe himself more in the future. It could be disruptive to their teamwork. He sighs as he reflects on it. The worst part is that they were finally making progress with Yuzuha able to talk somewhat normally to him, and by yelling at her, he completely ruined _everything_.

"Oi, Hinata." That is the last person he wants to approach with questions. It's like he is admitting directly that he has been defeated.

"D-did I do something wrong?" Hinata looks devastated, his entire body turned rigid as he points a finger toward his face.

"Why are you stuttering?"

"You're glaring at me!"

He blinks slowly. Glaring? Since when has he been glaring? "My face is always like this," he complains back, irritable.

"It's worse today than usual..."

"Say what?"

"N-nothing!"

Kageyama simply doesn't have the patience to entertain such drivel. So he decides to get straight to the point. "Did..." But he really is reluctant to ask. He has to struggle with himself to work out the words. "...did you talk to Sakurai today?"

The subject seems to instantly brighten Hinata's mood, and he gives a jerky nod. "Yeah!"

Considering how well the two seem to get along, Kageyama can't help but wonder. This isn't a question he should ask. This is definitely not something he should even be curious about. "Do you like her?"

"Mm! She's fun to talk to!"

Clearly this blockhead doesn't understand the meaning of the _like_ that Kageyama was referring to. Exasperated, he wrestles with his inner instinct that rules that he should just snap at Hinata again because having to clarify _really_ pisses him off. "That's not what I was asking."

Clueless as to what he means by that, Hinata just tilts his head. He's drawing clear question marks above his head.

"Do you _like_ her?" he asks again, putting extra emphasis on the word to try to get his meaning across.

Hinata's face strains as he contemplates the question. Kageyama isn't sure if it's because he doesn't understand what is being asked, or if it's because he genuinely isn't sure about his own feelings. But eventually he breaks out into that stupid grin of his. "Yuzu-chan is a good friend. We can understand each other."

"Understand each other... how exactly?"

He averts his eyes at that. Telling Kageyama that the two of them share a mutual fear for the taller man is probably not a wise idea. Pleading the fifth is probably the appropriate action to take in this scenario, so he just purses his lips.

The situation has not improved itself in the slightest by the next day when the lunch period rolls around again. If anything, it seems to have gotten considerably worse. There is a notable missing presence when he starts off toward the cafeteria. No matter how many times he peers over his shoulder, Kageyama doesn't catch Yuzuha peeping around any corners. As though he's paranoid that he has just missed her every time, he backtracks several times to check connected hallways for any signs of her.

It's not until he arrives at his usual lunch table with Hinata in tow that he decides that she has elected to avoid him completely. This should be a relief. He should be _glad_ that she isn't stalking him anymore. Instead, he stares down at his sandwich without any inclination of taking a single bite. He feels sick—and he has a sneaking suspicion that it's guilt for having snapped at her yesterday.

"Are you worried about Yuzu-chan?" Hinata guesses as he chomps down into his sandwich, smacking noisily before he swallows.

The sound is enough to prompt Kageyama to slam his fist down against the surface of the table in warning. It's the only reminder Hinata needs to remember that he has to mind his table manners when he's in Kageyama's presence. "I didn't say I was worried."

"Well, even though you're not concerned... she's out with a cold today apparently."

"A cold?" He relaxes in his seat as he hears that. So she _isn't_ avoiding him. It seems silly now that he is so conscious of her presence that he actually felt uncomfortable when she wasn't following him around earlier. "So that's it..."

"I guess she's not close with her classmates."

"Hm?"

"Because, they asked me to take her the notes for today. None of them wanted to do it." Hinata sulks, as though he's the one whose feelings have been hurt. It makes Kageyama wonder if Yuzuha told Hinata bout being bullied in middle school. "Kageyama, do you want to take them to her?"

"Ha?!"

"It would make her happy!"

He is pretty sure it would do the opposite of make her happy. Try _scare the shit outta her_. But he does owe her an apology for snapping at her the other day. That doesn't entail delivering something to her house after practice, however. But whether he wants to or not, his teammate seems intent on roping him into it.

—

"Are you one of Yuzuha's classmates?" The woman who answers the door when he buzzes is middle-aged. The wrinkles show on her face, though he wonders if those aren't there more from stress than age.

"Not exactly," he mumbles, unsure of how to explain their "relationship."

"Wait a minute, are you... Kageyama?" she gasps.

"Yes...?"

The woman suddenly reaches out and grasps his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. She's smiling at him warmly now, obviously trying to tamp down her excitement. "I've heard so much about you from Yuzuha! She's usually such a quiet girl, but her face always lights up when she's talking about you. I'm so glad you came by!"

He wonders if the woman's daughter also included the part about stalking him when she talked about him, but he decides he is better off not asking that question. "I... see..."

"You're her hero."

His eyes widen at that. Hero? Whose hero? What is this lady talking about?

She chokes back a laugh at his reaction. "It sounds kind of corny, doesn't it? But I think she really meant it when she said it. My daughter doesn't have any friends, so thank you for being a friend to her. She really needs you."

Before the conversation can continue any further, the door creaks open wider and Kageyama can see that behind the woman, Yuzuha is standing there. She's still wearing her pajamas, and her hair looks even more untamed than usual. She is staring back at him with a look of disbelief.

"Yuzuha—" Her mother starts to call her before realizing she's already right there. "Isn't this nice? Your classmate came to—"

Yuzuha seizes the back of her mothers shirt, pulling her backward. "M-mom, d-don't say e-embarrassing stuff to K-Kageyama-kun!" Her face rapidly heats up, and Kageyama can even see her red ears poking out of her hair.

"You have to at least invite him in," her mother protests. "He came all this way!"

"You don't have to..." he starts to say.

"S-sorry!" Yuzuha apologizes once she's shooed her mother further down the hallway. She gives a deep bow in front of him. "Sorry... to inconvenience you..."

Her constant apologizing makes him feel even more guilty. Isn't he that one that's supposed to be saying he's sorry for the other day? His lips tighten into a taut line, and finally just as she's lifting her head, he bows his head this time instead. "Sorry," he says loudly. "For the other day during lunch."

"W-why...?"

"I snapped at you."

"I-I... w-was being annoying... s-so it's f-fine."

"No," he insists, "It's... not your fault." Why does she have to be so insecure? It makes it even more difficult than it should be to apologize. He doesn't like apologizing in the first place. Humbling himself in front of other people is a sharp blow to his pride.

But rather than argue with him about whose fault it is, as he might expect, Yuzuha just smiles shyly at him. "D-do... do you... tea..." She struggles with the words, obviously trying to invite him in. The only thing that alerts him as to her intention is the way she fidgets with her hand, swinging it out as though she's motioning for him to enter.

"It's late," he realizes as he regards the sun. It's already dipping into the horizon. Night is beginning to descend.

"O-okay," she says dejectedly, clearly taking that as a refusal.

"For a few minutes... I could come in."

Although he puts it in a way that seems to insinuate that he's being gracious to accept her offer, Yuzuha doesn't seem to mind. She starts happily smoothing her bangs over her eyes as she points down the hallway. "M-my mom... will be making it in the k-kitchen."

He invites himself in as she says that, slipping past her. It feels strange to be in someone else's house, he has to admit. Considering that from the time he was in middle school, he didn't have that many friends himself. Especially with the conflicts in his volleyball club.

"Th... thanks for bringing me... the notes..." She turns her gaze away bashfully, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt as though to try to defuse her own nervousness at being in his presence. "U-um... Kageyama-kun?"

"What?"

The way he says it must sound too harsh because she almost jumps out of her skin in fright. "U-uh... u-um... c-can I m-make..." Her voice trails off and it's clear she's struggling with what she wants to say. "C-can I make you a l-lunch box t-tomorrow?!"

He is taken aback by the way she shouts the question at him, and she's clearly flustered afterward as she realizes that she raised her voice. "Tomorrow?" he repeats thoughtfully. "If you want to."

Her face lights up. "I-I want to! I'll d-do my best!"

Kageyama really struggles the most in the face of her excitement. He does not entirely understand how these things that are small and insignificant to him seem to mean the world to her. But the even stranger part is how he feels his cheeks heating up the longer he gazes back at her, watching that sweet smile of hers gradually widen.


	3. 夏: skipping in reverse

_i'm not sure what this is gonna be,_

_but with my eyes closed all i see_

_is the skyline, through the window,_

_the moon above you and the streets below._

**夏:** s**kipping in reverse**

"You... forgot to make a lunch box for me, didn't you?"

Considering she's standing there with just one bento box in her hands and tears welling up in her eyes, he can easily guess what the problem is before she even has the opportunity to open her mouth. But the moment he says that, she stares back at him with her lips trembling.

He sighs. "Don't cry about it."

"I'm so sorry!" she bellows back at him, flipping her upper body downward in a low bow.

People passing by in the hallway stop to look, whispering amongst themselves and directing suspicious gazes in Kageyama's direction. He hears them muttering about how he "must be bullying that poor girl." His cheeks redden, and he can feel his frustration mounting.

"I-I... i-if you..." Yuzuha fidgets as she peers up at him, her upper body still parallel with the ground. "Um... if you don't mind... I'll buy my lunch from the cafeteria a-and you can... I would like it if you would..."

"Spit it out!"

"Y-yes! Sorry!" She squeaks back, jumping backward with her bento box held in front of her face as if she's preparing to defend herself should he decide to attack (obviously he's not going to). "P-please take my lunch!" Yuzuha thrusts the box out toward him and starts to bow again.

He holds his hand up. "Stop apologizing and stop bowing. If you can do that, I'll take it."

Those jade eyes light up and a smile crawls up on her face. "Okay!"

It's a relief that he's able to placate her so easily. Especially since he was afraid that she might apologize _again_ for apologizing. Although he does feel a bit bad taking her lunch from her, Kageyama holds his hand out expectantly.

"I-I hope... it's good enough." Timidly turning her eyes to the ground, she passes the wrapped box over with shaky hands. She's clearly hesitant to give it over to him, but she finally retracts her hands, meekly peering up at him for some sign that he's pleased with the exchange.

"Are you fine buying something from the cafeteria by yourself? You'll get shoved around."

"I'll buy you something, Yuzu-chan!" Hinata declares, popping out from behind Kageyama. He's beaming as he looks between the two of them. It's at that point that he spots the lunch box and he flashes a thumbs-up sign at Yuzuha, as though praising her.

"R-really...?" Suddenly she looks relieved, and it's clear to Kageyama that although she had said she would buy something, she has a lot of anxiety about going into the cafeteria. "Then... I can get the drinks."

"Deal!"

The three of them part ways briefly and rendezvous on the rooftop. Once there, they seat themselves in a semi-circle, and it's the first time that Yuzuha has deigned to sit so close to Kageyama. Granted that they still have Hinata seated in between them as a sort of buffer. It leaves Kageyama with a bitter look on his face.

"You're glaring again," Hinata whispers to him, leaning close so that Yuzuha doesn't overhear.

He stiffens when he hears that. How is he _supposed_ to look? Should he try to smile? No, Asahi-senpai had advised against that. Shit, Kageyama really isn't sure how what he is supposed to do. This is his normal face. Why does everyone tell him he's always glaring?

"I-is... the lunch not good?" Her brows are furrowed down and it's clear that she's concerned.

It isn't until she asks that Kageyama even realizes that he's been sitting here eating it. He peers down and notices that he's already devoured most of the weiners. "It's edible." His comment earns him a nudge in the rib, for which he turns with a death glare on Hinata, about ready to clobber his teammate.

"Compliment her!" Hinata urges desperately.

"The... uh... the taste is alright." Clearly unsure if this is what he should be saying, Kageyama gazes questioningly at Hinata, only to receive a look of disappointment as the smaller boy slaps his hand over his face.

On the contrary, Yuzuha seems pretty happy. "Really? That's great!" Her cheeks have flushed red and she's happily munching away on her sandwich, clearly pleased with herself.

Silence stretches on between them. The only person who seems to be uncomfortable with it is Hinata, who gazes between the other two who seem perfectly content not to say another word the rest of the time. His cheeks gradually inflate in his dismay.

"Yuzu-chan," he says suddenly, turning his gaze toward her as he drains his juice box. "What do you like about Kageyama? What made you come to like him?"

The person in question immediately freezes as he hears the question. Is that really appropriate to ask? Especially given how easily Yuzuha can be upset? His neck turns like a crickety wheel as he peers over warily at the girl.

Contrary to his apprehension, she seems excited at the inquiry. "W-well... he looks really scary, but... when he thinks no one is looking... he looks relaxed. A-almost vulnerable...? I-I don't mean that in a bad way," she corrects quickly, panicked. "I-I mean—"

"Kageyama? Vulnerable?" Hinata fails to stifle a laugh before getting smacked over the head by his teammate.

"Shut up."

"S-sorry..."

"I said no apologizing," he reminds her with a glower.

"R-right!"

Before the opportunity for conversation ceases again entirely, a thought occurs to Kageyama. He has been wondering this for some time but never found the mind to ask. Now seems as good of a time as any, even if he's a bit bitter about it. "Why do you get along so well with Hinata? You're not nervous with him at all."

"I-I am!" she protests with a look of surprise. "I mean... I am still nervous, but... Hinata's smile is so nice that I just naturally feel relaxed..."

Nice? Annoying is the more apt word, but he chooses not to argue the point with her. Either way, hearing her compliment Hinata really perturbs him. He didn't feel particularly happy with her answer to Hinata's question either. What part of "vulnerable" is meant to be flattering? He sulks as he shovels the rice into his mouth.

While his partner pouts about the answer, Hinata blushes and rubs his nose. "Th-thanks..."

_Idiot, don't be all embarrassed about it, _Kageyama thinks sourly. _And whatever you do, don't ask anymore stupid questions._

"U-um..." She's fidgetting again, a clear indication that there's something she wants to say.

"Yeah?"

Yuzuha visibly stiffens, her face going pale as she wrings her hands in her lap. Apparently she has already finished her lunch. "I-If... I-I know I said I wouldn't a-ask, b-but... Kageyama-kun, c-can we be... friends?"

"Aren't we already friends?" Hinata cuts in, tilting his head.

"W-we are...?"

"I don't eat lunch with strangers," Kageyama says as he finishes the last bite of his meal, reaching his hand out for his own drink to wash it all down.

Yuzuha purses her lips, and for a moment he wonders if she isn't going to cry again. Soon enough, however, she grins back at the two of them. "Th-then... we can keep eating lunch together. A-and m-maybe... hang out..." Her voice trails off and it's clear she's lost her confidence at that point. "I-I mean, th-that's m-maybe... a bit too much."

"Yeah! Let's hang out!"

There is something dissatisfying about the fact that Hinata keeps jumping in every time before Kageyama can say anything. It also doesn't sit well with him to go hangout somewhere with Hinata tagging along. That's a silly thought, he realizes. Does that mean he _wants_ to hang out with Yuzuha?!

"Is there somewhere you want to go, Yuzu-chan?"

Her gaze flits between the two of them, but the moment she catches Kageyama looking back at her, she averts her eyes. "U-um... anything is f-fine..."

Hinata seems disappointed with her lack of enthusiasm. Kageyama suspects it's because she's afraid of voicing her opinion. "Don't you have any hobbies or things you like to do? Are you involved in a club?"

"The... going home club?" She smiles awkwardly. "S-sorry, that was a dumb joke."

_She can make jokes?_ Kageyama is instantly dumbfounded. He doesn't think he's seen any show of a sense of humor from her in the entire time they have interacted. Clearly her social skills are stunted. (Not that he has any room to be making that observation about other people.)

"I... I like... fish."

"Eating fish?"

She quickly shakes her head. "No, I.. I own two goldfish."

Hinata snaps his fingers together. "Then let's go to the aquariam!"

Rather than feeling like a part of this group discussion, Kageyama feels like a third party looking on. He can feel his anger starting to swell up in his chest, along with something else. It's like there is a weight there, crushing inward. The more he listens to the two of them talk, the more nauseous he feels. Why do they get along so well? When he can't even have a normal conversation with her? It pisses him off.

"K-Kageyama-kun... w-would you want to g-go...?"

"No," he says instantly, standing up without any warning. "You two can go."

"E-eh..? You... you don't want to go...? I-If it's because it's the aquariam then—"

"It's not because of the aquariam," he snaps back impatiently. His mind is muddled from the overwhelming emotions that he's feeling. The frustration at feeling left out, the envy he feels toward Hinata for being able to talk to Yuzuha so freely, and his own anger with himself for lashing out pointlessly. Refusing to linger there any longer and risk upsetting her further, Kageyama stomps off toward the door and hurries back to the classroom, ignoring the cries of Hinata behind him.

—

"Is something wrong? This isn't like you."

After a poor performance in practice and recurrently lashing out at the other members, Kageyama has been sent to the bench to cool off. He has a towel draped over his head, hiding his face as he bends forward, his elbows digging into his thighs as he keeps his hands clasped in front of him. The sound of Sugawara's voice makes him flinch, but he doesn't respond.

Sighing quietly to himself, the older boy takes a seat beside his fellow setter. "Is it that girl again?"

"I... messed up again," Kageyama admits glumly. The guilt has been suffocating him since earlier. He can't shake the image of her devastated face from his mind. Yet as much as he realizes that he is the one at fault, he can't bring himself to even think about approaching her to apologize. It's his pride holding him back again.

"Because of Hinata?"

That question earns Sugawara a look of surprise. "How did...?"

"You yelled at him the most tonight." He breaks into a grin, amused at how easily he's managed to read his teammate.

Kageyama breathes a sigh and turns away.

"Just apologize. If you're sincere, there's no way she won't accept it."

That sounds like generic advice if he's ever heard it. How many times is she going to forgive him? But then again, if he considers who it is they're talking about, Yuzuha seems the kind of person who would forgive him no matter how many times he lashed out at her. That's what makes it even more frustrating. If she would get angry with him or frustrated with him, he wouldn't have to beat himself up over it so much.

"If that's not enough, maybe you should do something for her."

"Do something?" Kageyama echoes back, finally peering over his shoulder at his senpai.

"Buy her something? It can be something small like a drink from a vending machine. It's the thought that counts." Sugawara supplies his suggestion with a reassuring smile. "But if you don't hurry, Hinata might sweep her away?"

Kageyama's fingers curl into tight fists. "I'll... apologize tomorrow," he mumbles through gritted teeth, resigning himself.

It is a long, painstaking wait until the lunch hour the next day. Worse yet, he gets stuck behind a bustling group of classmates and is late leaving the classroom. By the time he makes it out into the hallway, he spots Hinata already engaged in animated conversation with Yuzuha. He can feel it again, that prickling pain in his chest as he watches them.

As he approaches the two of them, Yuzuha immediately retreats back a step and has that apologetic look on her face again. She clearly is blaming herself for yesterday. And while he wants to say he's sorry as quickly as possible, having Hinata present makes it more difficult. In this situation, he assesses that he has only one option.

"Come with me." He doesn't wait for Yuzuha's answer—he grabs her by the hand and starts forcefully dragging her off. It's clear that she is caught off-guard by his demand, because she just stumbles after him with wide doe eyes. It takes far longer than he would like to cart her off to the vending machines in one of the stairwells, but since it's relatively empty, he decides that this is as good a place as any to stop. So finally he halts, releases her, and resolves himself before turning toward her and bowing his head down.

"About yesterday... I..."

"You... don't have to apologize."

He stiffens as he looks up at her.

Yuzuha smiles sadly back at him. "It... was enough to be considered a friend. I... I tried to push you to do something unreasonable."

It's just like her to turn it back around on herself, and for that he feels indignant. Frustrated, Kageyama reaches out and clasps her shoulders, giving her a solid shake. "No," he argues back with a harsh tone to his voice. "I was the one who snapped."

"K... Kageyama-kun?"

"You... want to go to the... aquariam right?" Crap, why is he starting to blush? Is it because he's holding onto her? Or because they're standing too close?

"W-we don't have to if you—"

"Do _you_ want to go?" Her stuttering seems to help him regain his composure. Probably because it starts to grate on his nerves all over again. As long as he's chronically frustrated with her, he feels like he can go without turning beet red. But why is his heart still thumping so loudly in his chest?

"I... I do..."

"Then we'll go." He averts his eyes, dropping his hands back to his side as he mumbles, "Without Hinata."

It takes a whole five seconds before those words seem to register for Yuzuha. And then she almost screeches like a banshee, desperately clamping a hand over her mouth to silence herself. When she finally gets her bearings, she's gone red to her ears. "A... A-a... d-d-date?"

"M-moron, I didn't say it was a date!"

She shrinks back when he snaps.

Immediately he has an apologetic look on his face. "No, I... didn't mean to—"

"I-It's okay... I-I just got too s-stupidly excited..."

That's not what he meant either, but it seems like it's too late to try to tell her that now. While it's true he wouldn't directly call it a date, it's not _not_ a date either (which basically makes it a date). No matter how he tries to rationalize it, he's not satisfied with either possible conclusion. All he knows is that he does _want_ to go with her, he just doesn't want Hinata tagging along and getting chummy with her all over again.

"Th-this weekend... I-I'm not busy, i-if...?"

"We'll go on Sunday," he decides. "Wait... we should exchange numbers."

"E-exchange n-numbers?!"

The way she acts so flabbergasted, he can't help but stare at her questioningly. "How are we supposed to communicate otherwise?"

She fumbles for her phone in her pocket, quickly pulling it out. Although she almost drops it several times before she has a solid grip with both hands. Judging by the sweat pouring down her face, she feels even more nervous than usual right now. Although he has to inwardly commend her—she's actually handling it pretty well. He would have expected her to cry by now.

Once they have exchanged numbers, Kageyama tries to discuss an appropriate meeting place and time. The conversation is largely one-sided, as Yuzuha is still staring down at her phone in awe as though she cannot believe that she has his _number_.

A part of him suspects their little outing will ultimately exasperate him and he'll end up snapping at her again. But the way she peers up at him nervously, eventually stretching a smile out across her lips, assures him that _maybe_ things will be okay.

It's not until Sunday morning when he's standing outside the station at the appointed time that he decides he was completely wrong. A glance at his watch tells him she's already five minutes late. Veins are popping on his forehead as his annoyance mounts. Where could she be?

Just as he is about to call her, Kageyama receives text message that just says _'Almost there'._ He crosses his arms firmly over his chest as he scans the crowd, looking for her. That head of frizzy silver hair shouldn't be difficult for him to miss.

He thinks that until he feels someone seize a handful of his shirt from behind. Almost instinictively his shoulders stiffen as he peers back at the culprit. The moment he spots her, panting and hunched over, desperately trying to catch her breathe, his anger starts to subside.

Perhaps part of that is because of his surprise at her appearance. It's his first time seeing her in casual clothing. Her style is surprisingly cute rather than eccentric, but more than that, her hair has been groomed back into a low pony-tail that hangs across her left shoulder. It suits her surprisingly well.

"S... sor... sorry..." She chokes that out in between gasping breaths.

"You have no endurance," he assesses.

A little ashamed, she gives a nod.

"Is that why you don't participate in the sports festival?"

Rather than answer, Yuzuha just smiles bitterly and changes the conversation. "Um... are you ready to g-go?"

Instead of conceding and falling into her pace, he cuts her off by asking, "Why were you late?"

Those jade eyes glisten as though tears are about to start welling up in them, and he's starting to regret making his query. "S-sorry... I was... it took longer to get ready..." She sheepishly smooths her bangs across her forehead as she says that.

Pressing her any further seems rather pointless. He has heard that girls take a while to get ready, and despite her normally disheveled appearance, that seems to apply to Yuzuha too. Kageyama shrugs it off. "Let's go then." Just as he starts off through the crowd, he feels her grasp at the back of his shirt as she follows behind him, like a child desperate not to lose their mother. "What are you doing?"

"I-I... th-the crowd..." Almost reluctantly, feeling as though she's been scolded, Yuzuha starts to let go.

Kageyama catches her hand and holds out the back of his shirt for her. "Don't stretch it," he warns with a grim expression. "But... you can hold onto me if it makes you feel better." In the back of his head, he wonders what Hinata would do in this situation. Was that the right thing? Or should he have done something else?

Regardless of him second guessing his own actions, Yuzuha appears quite pleased. The two of them maneuver through the station until they get to their appropriate train. Once they have boarded, he realizes that it's too crowded for them to find seats. Once more people board, they're pushed into a corner by the door. He plants a hand on either side of Yuzuha in an effort to keep her from being crushed. It's not something he even actively notices himself doing—it's purely instinctual. He doesn't even realize she's been pinned between him and the door until he glances down.

"A-are you o-okay, Kageyama-kun?"

As he is staring down at her, he gets a whiff of her perfume. It's a sweet, savory smell—like fresh flowers. Yet just subtle enough that he almost feels tempted to lean closer in order to take it in better. The very thought causes his cheeks to color. "I'm fine," he mumbles.

Although she released her hold on his shirt once they boarded, as the train jerks to life and sends her stumbling, she reaches her hands toward him to stable herself. Her fingers dig into the cotton fabric covering his chest. It almost feels like she's clinging to him, and his face turns redder.

He can attempt to rationalize it as much as he wants, trying to convince himself that his reactions are normal, he just can't compose himself. For some reason he has started to feel unnerved around her, and the intensity of it only seems to be gradually increasing.

When they eventually disembark, she keeps on his heels again—her fingers pinching at his shirt from behind. He glances back at her a few times, as though he's paranoid that he might lose her. Each time she catches his gaze, she smiles ever so slightly.

Once they get into the aquariam where only a few people linger, observing each exhibit, Yuzuha starts to keep a bit of distance from him. She seems to forget herself here, loitering at each tank to observe the fish with a face full of fascination. She appears to be especially interested in the jellyfish, her face lighting up with delight as the two of them stand side-by-side in front of the glass.

"You like them?" Kageyama guesses.

"They're so beautiful," she mutters back dreamily. "Aren't the small ones the cutest?"

As the two of them are leaning close to the glass, the back of their hands bump against each other. In a moment the atmosphere changes as Yuzuha leaps back, clutching her hand to her chest. Her ears are red again as she turns away, clearly embarrassed by the moment.

"What's wrong?" Kageyama asks, marginally dumbfounded. The contact had been a complete accident after all.

"N-nothing..." Despite dismissing it, there is a momentary expression of disappointment on her face. Perhaps because of Kageyama's lack of reaction. Although she knows she should be satisfied with things as they are, the fact that he doesn't seem the least bit bothered seems to indicate to her that he isn't even aware of her as a girl.

"Ah... these fish are tiny."

"T-they are," she agrees as she nervously edges closer to the narrow tank, clearly conscious of getting in close proximity of him again.

"Are you cold?" Considering that she has elected to wear a short-sleeved shirt and the air conditioning in this place keeps it relatively cool, he can only reason that the change in her behavior _must_ be temperature related.

Puzzled by his question, she tilts her head slightly. "N-no..? I'm fine. Are you c-cold?"

"Nope."

The silence creeps in after that, and judging by the look on her face as they visit the other exhibits, Yuzuha doesn't seem to be having much fun. He can feel something knotting in his gut as he watches her unchanging facial expression. She seems impassive, blankly staring at the fish now without even a hint of a smile.

It pisses him off to think that she might have had more fun if Hinata had come along. In fact, that thought is enough motivation that he finally halts in the middle of the hallway and catches her by the crook of her arm.

"Sakurai, what's bothering you?" He demands with a frown.

"H-huh?"

"Something is bothering you." Even though he's not the most perceptive, he can tell this much at least. When they first got here, she seemed so enthusiastic. It wasn't until their hands touched that she suddenly reverted to her usual gloomy nature. "You don't look like you're having fun."

"I-I am having fun...!" she protests weakly.

"Just tell me what's on your mind." The level of his frustration is beginning to climb again, and while he's doing his best to suppress it, he senses that he might snap at her again soon. Especially if she keeps trying to divert the course of the conversation.

Yuzuha seems to be struggling with herself. She chews on her lip for a moment before glancing up at him. "C-can I... I mean... d-don't get mad at me...?"

"I won't get mad." That's a lie—he can never promise he won't get mad. Nor can he completely promise that he won't snap if it rubs him wrong, but he is trying desperately to hold himself back.

Having received his assurance, Yuzuha boldly reaches her trembling hand toward his. Their fingers brush and gradually intertwine. Her palm feels a bit clammy, further evidence of just how nervous she is. But her hand is still incredibly _warm_. This time, both of them start to gradually turn red in the face.

"I-is it... okay?"

Kageyama finds it difficult to answer that. He can't say it's okay, mostly because he feels so _flustered_. But he also doesn't want to shake her off. It's a rare thing to convince her to speak her mind, after all. So instead he just blurts out, "Why?"

"I... I really like you," she admits in a quiet whisper. "S-so I keep thinking... I want to touch you... and get closer to you..."

_Too cute..._ This is the first time he has ever really thought that, but watching her fumble with her explanation while still desperately clinging to his hand, Kageyama can't help it. This is the first time he's ever been okay with this kind of contact. In fact, he feels a little triumphant thinking that he's the one who gets to do this with her and not Hinata.

Having resolved the issue, they continue through the aquariam. Kageyama notices that there are quite a few couples around them at each exhibit. He can't help but be conscious about the fact that they too are holding hands, just like he is with Yuzuha.

"Can we get a souvenir?" The excitement is visible in her eyes as she asks.

"I don't mind."

The store appears to have a lot of figurines and stuffed animals. In one aisle that he follows Yuzuha to, they appear to have various hats. One is a manta ray, another looks like the jellyfish that she so admired.

While he's busy looking at them, he hardly notices that she has slipped away until he feels something soft plop down against his head. In surprise he whips around, finding himself face to face with her. Those lively green irises stare warmly back at him, and her cheeks redden as she struggles to hold back a giggle.

"Why are you...?"

When he glances into a nearby mirror at the near end of the aisle, he sees his reflection wearing a squid hat—and its grumpy expression seems to mirror his own. He almost feels more glum about that fact. She must have chosen it thinking they looked alike.

"I-it's cute!"

Kageyama retrieves one of the jellyfish hats and just as quickly plops it down on her head. There is a clear mixture of shock and surprise on her face until he stifles his own laugh. "It fits perfectly," he assesses before he finally chuckles.

The two of them share a short bout of laughter together before replacing the hats on the appropriate shelf. At which point she beams up at him. "Y-you laughed with me."

For the first time since the two of them have known each other, his lips settle into a real, genuine smile. And he thinks that maybe his expectations for today have completely betrayed him. Rather than be exasperated and chronically frustrated with her, he feels... happy? Like he's... really, truly had fun.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So as you've noticed, I wanted to update earlier because I've recovered some from my writing block! No guarantee that the next will be but I'm really optimistic. I hope you guys enjoyed it! Thank you so much for the reviews!

**Mairelle - **I've watched all of the Oofuri anime, it is just so adorable! Probably my favorite sports anime ever on account of the characters, their relationships, and how they play off of each other. Abe and Mihashi were a big inspiration for the dynamic between Yuzuha and Kageyama. Especially because I rarely see (and have never written) a character quite like her before. Honestly I took inspiration from a lot of places, including some really cute shoujo manga that just motivated me to want to write something cute and fluffy.

**xGuiltyXGigglesx03** - Well I hope you end up liking it because her personality is explained and does develop later on, but I understand finding her annoying. (Kageyama does too and who can blame him!) If I'm speaking honestly I'm not always fond of the OCs that I write when I start them but I feel like that also gives them a lot of room to develop into more likeable characters later on.


	4. 夏: spinning wheels

**Author's Note:** I wanted to present a quick disclaimer that the story may verge AU here since, although I finished the anime, I haven't read any of the manga so I don't really know anything about what happens after the end of the anime. That includes their summer break and club practices, so I just kind of made things up based on what I know about the Japanese school system. So excuse any inconsistencies. I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Also bless you guys for the lovely reviews! I'm not personally offended at all if you don't like Yuzuha either, but I'm glad if some people do! And the Tanaka in these flashbacks is not the same as Ryuunosuke (the lovable hot-headed second-year for Karasuno). This is someone completely unrelated; Tanaka is actually a pretty common surname.

* * *

_i don't want you to hate for all the hurt that you feel_

_the world is just illusion trying to change you_

**夏：spinning wheels**

_"Does everyone have a teammate? Please make your way to the starting line."_

_ Her vision is bleary as she scans around. All of the faces look blank to her, and she can feel her throat tightening. It's difficult to breathe. No matter where she looks, everyone else is already partnered up. She feels stupid standing there by herself._

_ "Sakurai-san, do you not have a partner?"_

_ She jumps when a hand settles on her shoulder. The teacher looks shocked at her reaction, and almost apologetically, she shrinks away. "I... I don't have... one."_

_ "Is there anyone else who doesn't have a partner?" The teacher bellows out, scanning the crowd of students for anyone by themselves. Someone does end up stepping forth, but the moment they see Yuzuha, their nose crinkles in a look of disgust._

_ "I don't want to be partners with her!"_

_ "Tanaka-kun, don't say things like that! Come on now, come be partners with Sakurai so we can get this race going!"_

_ She feels numb as the teacher grabs her by the shoulders and guides her closer to the boy. He glares at her, as though blaming her for the fact that the two of them have been forcefully paired up. Although it is supposed to be a three legged race with two of their legs tied together, he makes a vomiting gesture the moment their skin touches._

_ "It's going to be your fault if we lose."_

_ Those words are enough to send her over the edge. And even after the whistle blows, signalling the start of the race, she doesn't move. Tanaka tries to yank her along forcefully, muttering abusive obscenities at her under his breath. But she's like dead weight being strung along._

_ "Move it!"_

_ The forceful motion of his leg as he swings it forward sends her stumbling, and ultimately flying forward. She falls on the ground, skinning her knee—her hands barely catching her before her face smacks into the cement._

_ "This only happened because I was partnered up with you," the boy says in disappointment, sighing—having been pulled down along beside her. Yet he appears to have escaped the tumble unscathed._

_ The teacher intervenes at this point, peeling the two away from each other. "Come on, Sakurai, I'll take you to the infirmary." Her arm is pulled around the man's neck as he helps her limp away from field and back toward the school. It seems to take forever before they finally arrive at their destination._

_ The smell of disinfectant makes her nauseous, but she endures it—and the burn of the peroxide being applied to the open wound. She hisses as the nurse dabs the cotton swab against it. Moments later she's applying tape and gaze to help with the bleeding._

_ "Accidents happen all the time out there," she tells Yuzuha. "You'll be okay, though. I don't think it will scar or anything. Might be a bit stiff to walk on for a bit, but you'll make it through."_

_ Yuzuha stares vacantly down at the bandage on her knee. The pain registers only vaguely in the back of her mind. Instead she is still focused on replaying those words that Tanaka said to her, over and over again. She tries to rationalize that he's being needlessly antagonistic and hateful, but he's not the first person to treat her this way. She's been enduring similar verbal abuse in the classroom for some months now._

_ "Sakurai-san? Are you okay?" The nurse reaches a hand toward her, moving her bangs away from her eyes. "Sorry, I couldn't see your face. You looked like you were really upset."_

_ "I'm... fine..." Her expression is hidden behind the thick frames resting on the bridge of her nose._

_ "You know, I think you'd be prettier if you wore contacts."_

_ She stiffens at the recommendation._

_ "Maybe if you cut your bangs, too. I think you could be really cute, Sakurai-san."_

_ Those unwanted comments roll off her back as she stands up quickly and hobbles to the door. "Thanks," she mumbles, the lack of sincerity clear in her voice as she makes her abrupt departure._

—

"You wear glasses?" Kageyama seems to study her face with a look of genuine curiosity.

She shrinks away from him, embarrassed. This is the first time that she has had to wear her glasses since she started high school. It's only because she lost a contact that she had to resort to this. "S-sorry... I'll put them away..." Just as she's about to slip them off and tuck them back into her pocket, he grabs her wrist.

"Why? It's fine like this."

"Yeah!" Hinata pipes in as he peeks at her from the side. "Our manager wears glasses too." He holds up a trembling fist, clearly a fan of the look.

These frames are much thinner and more stylish than the ones she sported back in middle school. So she has to admit that they're far more acceptable to wear. Hearing both Kageyama and Hinata reassuring her, she relaxes a bit. "Okay then... sh-should we go to the rooftop now?"

"Haven't you looked outside, Yuzu-chan? It's raining!"

Surprise momentarily registers on her face. She must have been too busy thinking in class to notice. It was sunny this morning when she walked to school, though. "O-oh... then what should we...?" She clearly looks troubled.

"Can you eat in the cafeteria?" Kageyama asks, wary that the noise may still overwhelm her.

"I can get your food so you don't have to fight the crowd!" Hinata offers eagerly.

"Ah... t-today, I b-brought a bento... for me and for... Kageyama-kun, too..."

"Aww, no fair. I want to taste some of it too, Yuzu-chan!"

At his pleading, Kageyama swiftly chops his teammate in the back of the head. "Moron, quit asking for the impossible." In reality, he's quite pleased that she has only ever elected to make a lunch box for him. He shouldn't feel as triumphant about it as he does—it's not a competition after all.

Disappointed, Hinata inflates his cheeks and starts toward the cafeteria without them, his hands folded behind his head. "Then you two can reserve us some seats while I get the food," he mumbles dejectedly, hurrying off.

"If you want to take the lunch boxes... I can get the drinks...?" She holds both of the wrapped bento boxes out toward him, smiling warmly at him. Lately, Yuzuha has been making more eye contact with him and stuttering less in her speech.

Kageyama is a bit surprised to see her take the initiative. "Ah... I can do that." He reaches over and accepts the proffered items, juggling them in his hands as he goes on ahead to the cafeteria. As he's walking, he peers back over his shoulder to watch her. She has a huge smile on her face as she walks quickly toward the vending machines. As usual, the little things make her happy.

Once the three rendezvous in the cafeteria, Kageyama is a little surprised to see that all the hustle and bustle accompanied by the clamor of footsteps and voices doesn't seem to affect Yuzuha much. She has seated herself across from him and seems to be happily eating her lunch without a care in the world.

Over the past couple of weeks, she has made unbelievable progress in opening up to the two of them. He suspects she would struggle in meeting new people, and it doesn't seem she has been able to make any friends in her classroom yet. But everything seems to be taken in baby steps with her. If things keep up as they are, they'll be fine.

"Summer break is coming up," she says suddenly. "Do.. you two have plans?"

"Camp," Hinata says thoughtfully. "For volleyball."

"Right... the two of you are in a sports club..." Yuzuha nods thoughtfully to herself, silver locks bouncing around her chin. Lately she has taken more time to brush out her hair and while it's usually thrown into a messy bun, it doesn't seem to be as untamed as before. It suits her this way. "Maybe... I should join a club..."

"A sports club?"

She stares back in disbelief at Hinata's question and slowly shakes her head. "N-no way... I don't like sports that well. M-maybe a culture club...?" That does seem like it would suit her better. She was involved with one of those for the sport festival, wasn't she?

"What about the photography club?" It is largely an off-handed suggestion, but she seemed to enjoy it before. At least that's how he got dragged into this awkward relationship with her to begin with.

Yuzuha seems to silently contemplate the possibility. "Th-that one... maybe I could do it? But maybe it's too late to join a club."

"It's not," Hinata insists. "You should try asking them, Yuzu-chan!"

"Okay! I'll do that then." She smiles back at him, despite the twisting knot in the pit of Kageyama's stomach every time she does.

The impending summer seems like it will be a long one. They will be separated until school resumes, but somehow that doesn't sit well with Kageyama. Although he does have her number so they can communicate through texts. This is a new concern that weighs on him for the next several days, until they're on the last Friday before the break.

It's another sunny day outside and they are sitting together on the rooftop. This time, Hinata isn't needed to provide a buffer between Kageyama and Yuzuha. Instead she is the one sitting between them this time. Kageyama is particularly conscious, however, about the fact that she's still sitting closer to Hinata than she is him.

"Yuzu-chan, what are your plans for summer break?"

"Actually... I'm going to be helping my uncle to earn some extra money."

"Work?" Kageyama asks in surprise, clearly wondering what kind of work she would be up for. Certainly not manual labor, she barely has a muscle on that scrawny body of hers. But moreover, he doesn't suspect it can be a job that involves any interaction with other people. That would be too overwhelming for her.

To his surprise however, she answers, "Y-yeah... as a convenience store clerk."

"Is that going to be okay?" Hinata voices their shared concern, to Kageyama's chagrin.

There is an unconvincing smile on those thin pale lips. "W-well, I am kind of n-nervous... but I think that I can do it...?"

Although he doesn't feel particularly reassured by what she just said, if she has the resolve to try something out of her comfort zone, it's definitely an improvement. It's hardly his place to dissuade her. There is one other thing on his mind though. "What are you wanting the money for?"

"I, um... I want to buy my own camera," she says shyly, looking away. "The photography club accepted my application, but... I want to start trying to take some pictures on my own. And my... phone doesn't have great quality so..."

"That's great!" The red-haired boy excitedly exclaims.

It occurs to Kageyama just how odd it is that not so long ago they scarcely knew Yuzuha. Now it seems normal for them to eat together everyday. It's going to make the break lonely. Being away at camp without any form of communication beyond texting is a little disappointing. Wait, why is he even thinking that way? It should be fine.

"Kageyama-kun, um... sorry if I'm pestering you, but... are you okay?" Yuzuha ventures the question only once the lunch period has ended and Hinata has sped off to return to class, claiming he forgot to do the homework for the next hour. The two of them are walking side-by-side through the hallway.

"Summer homework," he lies, not wanting to confess to her the real reason that he's seemed glum for the past few days.

"We should do it together over the break," she suggest eagerly. "I-I mean, if you want to..."

"We can when I get back."

"Oh, right... camp..." Her voice trails off for a moment and she seems pensive. "Um, Kageyama-kun... is it okay if I... text you while you're there?"

There is some strange sense of satisfaction in the fact that she has asked him preemptively and he hasn't had to say it himself. Kageyama rubs the back of his neck, too embarrassed to give an immediate 'yes'. Instead he makes it seem like he's debating it in his head before he finally concedes, "Alright."

Their time at school ends too quickly, and despite his excitement and anticipation for the next term to resume, he does derive some enjoyment from the break. Not seeing Yuzuha does turn out to be a bigger disappointment than he had prepared himself for. Somehow it just feels weird that he doesn't have a head peeking around every corner, watching him as it goes. It must seem strange to anyone else that he's grown so accustomed to having a stalker.

Although Kageyama isn't really sure that the term applies aptly to her. Certainly she has some sort of obsession with him, but he feels as though it largely stems from the fact that she doesn't have any other friends. Maybe during the next term she can make some.

These thoughts occur to him during camp, where he finds himself lying wide awake, staring up at the ceiling. He can hear the noisy breathing of someone else nearby, and he suspects it must be Hinata. It's difficult to make anything out in the darkness. Eventually he rolls onto his side and gropes for his phone, which is hidden beneath his pillow.

The hour is quite late and it's only the first day, but it has been a while since he has seen or heard from Yuzuha. It annoys him that he has to be the first to contact her since, despite asking him about it, she has yet to send him a single text.

_'How is the clerk job going?'_ It is a bland opening, but he is a bit curious.

When he realizes what time it is while he's sitting there waiting for a reply, Kageyama freezes. It's too late for her to possibly be awake to answer his text. He has no business being awake. It's better to stuff his phone back in its hiding spot and go to b—

_'Kinda scary? But I'm doing my best! How about you?'_

Wow, she actually sounds more normal and natural in texts than she does in person. He doesn't spend long being impressed before he types out his answer. The two of them exchange texts without either one ever asking why the other is awake so late. At least until Kageyama decides that he's too exhausted to continue, and that he'll regret it tomorrow if he doesn't turn in.

_'Have a good night and do your best tomorrow!'_ She texts back in response to his last message.

—

_"Does anyone not have a partner?"_

_ It is a simple home economics exercise, but this time the teacher isn't rushing to her aid. The person standing there awkwardly without a soul in the room that wants to be paired up with them happens to be Tanaka. In only a few weeks, the tables have turned—his aggressive, hostile behavior toward some of the other students seems to have backfired on him. Now he's become the target of the bullying._

_ Yet while she's no longer the object of everyone's ridicule, being ignored has hardly improved her relationship with her classmates. And while she's a little reluctant to verbally admit it to the teacher, but she _still_ doesn't have a partner._

_ As though reading her mind, one of the other students says, "Sakurai doesn't have one. He can partner up with her."_

_ Despite being the primary culprit behind her bullying, Tanaka scarcely says a word to her this time when they are partnered up. They sit quietly at the table together without him ever exchanging a look with her. He has his shoulders rolled forward and he's being eerily silent._

_ There is no bitterness in her eyes as she looks at him. For Yuzuha, if anything, she pities him. Being on the receiving end for so long, she understands what it means to be ostracized. Yet for the past few weeks she has avoided any interaction with other students, especially verbal exchanges. So although she wants to ask him if he's alright or try to reassure him somehow—despite the role he played in bullying her—she can't bring herself to do it._

_ The two of them work silently together. She's close enough to hear his breathing and it's a little unsettling. She can feel the slickness of sweat on the palm of her hands. They're turning clammy because of the close proximity. She has developed a nervousness about being anywhere close to people as a result of the bullying._

_ "Pass that." The sound of his voice startles her and she hastily reaches for the spatula he's pointing at. When she passes it over, he seems to flinch. "Gross, why's it all wet?"_

_ She blanches, realizing that the sweat from her hand must have rubbed off. "S-sorry... I can c-clean it..." Yuzuha holds out her hand shyly to take it back._

_ As though to avoid the possibility of touching her, he sets it on the counter instead. "Make sure you dry it, too."_

_ "O-okay..."_

_ The verbal exchange ends there and only silence exists between them as she hurriedly cleans the utensil before setting it on the counter again. This time he takes it silently without even thanking her for rinsing it off, but she's actually happier if he doesn't address her directly. Talking to him just makes her even more nervous._

_ Although they are supposed to be working together, they don't communicate and they start distancing themselves. It looks more like two students sitting at a table working on different projects rather than a joint one. Yuzuha supposes they both prefer it this way. She doesn't look over her shoulder to see what Tanaka is doing._

_ But then as the end of the hour is approaching, he suddenly speaks up from beside her. "Set those over there." He motions to the counter and holds out a cookie sheet. Without thinking, she touches her fingers against it. Before the heat even registers against her skin, she recoils instinctively and hisses in pain._

_ "What are you doing? Hurry up!"_

_ She jolts at his command, and hurriedly grabs a mitt to handle the searing hot pan. Yuzuha is forced to balance it with one hand and set it down on the counter. Almost as soon as she is done, he jabs his thumb toward the faucet behind them without saying anything. She assumes he must be indicating that she needs to run her hand under the water._

_ It's while she's standing away from their table that she overhears a nearby group of girls._

_ "Hey, don't you feel kind of sorry for Tanaka? Having to partner up with her."_

_ "What are you talking about? He deserves it. I mean, I don't want to be friends with her either, but he's the one who bullies her all the time."_

_ She hangs her head, smoothing over her bangs with her freehand while watching the icy cold water pour over the burns on the tips of her fingers. Rather than feel hurt by their words, she just feels numb to them. This is the kind of treatment that she is accustomed to._

_ It's when she's still standing there that a shadow falls over her. Startled by it, she jumps back, her hand still held just under the flow of the faucet. Yuzuha leans away like a cornered animal when she realizes it's just Tanaka._

_ "Done yet?" He's holding a bowl full of utensils, clearly the aftermath of their cooking "together." It was mostly him doing the work while she stood by idly and fiddled with things because he gave her no opportunity to participate._

_ Realizing that he wants to wash everything so they'll be finished, Yuzuha reluctantly withdraws her hand. "G-go... ahead..." The water drips from her fingertips and she reaches for a paper towel. It's an unfortunate coincidence that their hands bump then. Almost immediately Tanaka retracts his with a look of disgust on his face. "S-sorry..."_

_ "If you're sorry, get out of the way."_

_ One of the girls from the table before calls out, "What's wrong? Is the couple fighting?"_

_ Tanaka looks over at her and snaps, "Shut up! I wouldn't date _that_!" He points an accusing finger at her, treating her like some kind of _thing_ rather than a human being._

_ For a moment she's stunned. The girls are in uproarious laughter at his reaction, specifically about how he lost his cool over it so easily. And while she watches his face go red, no doubt from his anger, she sinks back. "I-I have to go to the n-nurse's office," she squeaks out, hurrying away to spare both of them the embarrassment of being targeted any further. And while she tells herself that those words of his shouldn't affect her because she has no real attachment to him, the tears well up in her eyes just the same._

_ She has been treated like she was disgusting and disliked before—but this is the first time she has really felt ugly and hated._

—

"Is that all for you?" She has gotten better at reciting this line, although it has taken the better part of the last week and a half to get it down without spontaneously stuttering. The smile still has a little work to go, and she barely brings herself to look up at the customer. Instead she tries to focus on the area between his eyes—his forehead. It gives the appearance that she's making eye contact even though she's not.

"I want a package of those cigarettes." He points to the wall behind her.

The line is longer today than it is usually. Most of the time it is so slow in here that she spends most of her time stocking the shelves rather than having face-to-face communication with other people. She's silent as she rings up the items that the man has brought over, along with his cigarettes. When she reads him his total, there is a quiet exchange of money. She's feels a little trepidation as she holds out his change and the receipt.

On the contrary, the bearded man gives her a wide grin as he takes it. "Thank you."

"H... have a nice day!" she calls back to him excitedly as he turns to leave. The sound of someone setting their items down turns her attention to the next customer, and she habitually focuses her gaze between his brows. Although she can tell from her peripheral vision that he's a high school student—probably about her age. "Is that all for you?"

There is a pause as he stares back at her, unblinking for a moment. "Sakurai?"

Hearing her name causes her to jolt and unfocus. She studies the person's face with apprehension, only be left confused. "Um...?" It takes a moment for her to recognize his features. It hasn't been that long, but he has changed quite a bit. "T... Tanaka..."

"You moved out here?" His brows peak in surprise.

There is something bitter about this reunion. She can already feel her pulse quicken, and she feels like she's being warped back to those moments in middle school. It's like reliving those moments when she felt the most worthless. Her first instinct is to run, but there are no other workers inside at the moment. Her uncle is in the back taking a lunch break.

"Sakurai?"

It's difficult for her to force herself to get back on track, but she reaches forward with a shaky hand and hurriedly rings up his items without glancing up at him. "Your total is..."

"Are you upset?"

She flinches. Can he actually tell, or is he guessing? Somehow she can't find the courage to look into his eyes and find out. Since he seems so intent on talking, her plan to discourage him by pretending she doesn't know him doesn't appear to be working. What should she do?

"I... wanted a chance to talk with you ever since you transferred. It was so sudden."

"T... talk to me?" she gasps in disbelief.

"Yeah... is that okay?"

It is clearly not okay, given the terrified look she is wearing on her face. But either he is choosing to ignore it or he can't discern it properly. Either way, she is too rattled to give a coherent response. Instead she stares down at the counter. Her mind is racing and all she can hear is the noisy pounding of her heart resounding in her ears.

"Sakurai?"

A hand is reaching toward her—she can see it out of the corner of her vision. She immediately takes a retreating step to avoid it. The thought of him touching her makes her feel nauseous. "P-please... j-just give me your t-total." She curses herself for being a stuttering mess when she'd like nothing more than to boldly tell him to go away, but she can't find the strength to do so.

Just as she is starting to panic, she feels a hand clap down on her shoulder. "Yuzu-chan, why don't you take your lunch break now? I'll take over." The first thing she sees is a stubble-covered chin as she glances up at her uncle. His lips peel back in a smile. "You look like you're long over-do for a rest. Maybe I've been workin' ya too hard."

"N-no..." She relaxes a little, comforted by his presence. "But I'll go t-take my break now." His relief doesn't come too soon and she hastily darts away from the counter, anxious to put distance between herself and her old classmate.


	5. 夏: forward in baby steps

**Author's Note:** Bless you all for the lovely reviews. I wanted to update as quick as possible even though it was a midterm week. I hope you guys enjoy, I may not be able to update for a little while since the end of October is going to be super busy for me. Early happy halloween!

**Otaku-neku - **Yes it is! I forgot to make a note about that, so I did as soon as I read your review. Thank you for asking! Also, I have read the one-shot but I'm not caught up on the actual series. I really loved it, though. It was so adorable, I really need to get caught up on the series!

**colouredred -** Bless you! Honestly that part was written on some of my own similar experiences, I'm glad someone could relate, and thank you so much for all of your compliments!

* * *

_we're right back where we belong_

_don't second guess your heart, it's never wrong_

**夏:** **forward in baby steps**

"You quit?" Kageyama seems mildly surprised when he hears the news.

Combing the loose silver strands dangling across her shoulder, Yuzuha gives a bashful nod. "Y-yeah... I-it wasn't really for me." The strained smile she gives him is as unconvincing as the lie she is trying to feed him. As though to distract him from that, she reaches for her pencil and starts working again. "T-the summer homework... is pretty long... huh?"

It is even more unnatural for her to make such idle chatter. He can tell she is forcing herself. Kageyama folds his arms over his chest and studies her. "Something happened," he guesses with precision. "What is it?"

"H-huh? What... makes you think that?"

"You're not looking me in the eyes." He leans forward, trying to study her face. But she's been avoiding his gaze since he came over. It almost makes him wonder why they decided to get together to work on their summer homework in the first place if she is just going to distance herself the whole time. It's especially strange because she is usually more excitable in his presence.

Finally he hears an audible sigh slip past her lips, and those eyes momentarily glance up at him as she sets her pencil aside. "Something... did happen," she admits quietly, wrapping her arms around her legs. She rests her chin on her knees as she stares down at the table.

It feels like minutes are passing by quickly as they sit there without her saying a peep. At this rate, they aren't going to make any progress and he can already feel his anger levels rising. His brow twitches in annoyance as he slaps a hand down against the table, giving her a jump. "Well? What is it?" he prompts eagerly.

Yuzuha shrinks back at the display. "W-well, th-that is... you see..."

"Don't stutter about it."

"R-right!" Her shoulders stiffen. "I-I r-ran into a classmate!"

"That's not that unusual."

"F-from middle school..."

"That is unusual," he corrects with a thoughtful look. It would be really odd for her to run into someone from Tokyo all the way out here. Unless they were visiting family. But then, why would it rattle her this much to run into someone that she recognizes? Then he realizes—of course, she was bullied in middle school. "Did they do something?"

It takes a moment for his question to register and she quickly shakes her head. "N-no, he didn't do anything..."

His brows furrow. Somehow he seems to be missing the problem. If she encountered someone and they didn't actually do anything, why does she seem so shaken up? "Then what? Is he someone that bullied you?"

Her lips tremble, and while she can't find her voice to respond, she doesn't need to. He can already tell by her reaction.

Somehow that pisses him off. The thought that there is a sole person responsible for how petrified she has been and his painful struggle to communicate with her... it makes him want to beat them to a bloody pulp. And he finds himself smiling maniacally, his grip on his pencil tightening until the wood splinters in his grasp.

"K-Kageyama-kun!"

Once he realizes what he's done, he unfurls his fist and lets the two split halves clatter against the blank paper in front of him. He still hasn't made any progress on his summer homework. Since he came this morning, he had been staring at her, trying to figure out why she seemed so out of sorts. Frustrated with himself, he sighs.

"Um... my uncle wants me to go back to work."

Hearing that statement surprises him a little. He cocks his head. Why is she telling him? Does she want advice? "What do you want to do?" Quit is the obvious answer, but he wonders if that's true.

Yuzuha hesitates in the face of his query, perhaps because she is not certain herself. "I... I think... I want to keep working," she finally admits. "I.. r-really want that camera." As she talks, she wrings her hands nervously in her lap.

"Then you should."

"H-huh? B... but..."

"You don't want to because you're scared. Is that right?"

Ashamed, she gives a nod. "Y-yeah."

Kageyama punches a fist into the palm of his hand. "I have an idea to fix that problem." He's wearing a particularly scary expression on his face as he says this, a hint of his malicious intent carried in the sound of his voice, which is scarcely spoke above a whisper.

Yuzuha whimpers and shrinks away. "A-an idea...?"

—

"H-Hinata-kun? What are you doing here..?"

He perks up at the sight of her, immediately jumping up. "Yuzu-chan!" He greets with that usual cheerful grin of his. "Kageyama put me on guard duty today. I'm supposed to help protect you during your shift!" It looks like he's been sitting by the doors to the convenience store for some time now. He's wearing a jacket and his forehead has beads of sweat trickling down. It looks like he must have run here and has since been waiting.

"G-guard duty?" she asks, clueless. "And where is Kageyama-kun...?"

Thinking about the setter seems to drain any sign of happiness out of Hinata's face, as the redhead distinctly recalls just how menacing the look was on his face was when he relayed the details of this "guard duty" to Hinata. "I'll be on watch until noon," he says with a small laugh.

Somehow, Yuzuha thinks she can guess what the two of them are up to. And she immediately feels guilty for indirectly enlisting their protection. Especially when it's a problem she should be handling by herself. "Um... I appreciate the thought, Hinata-kun, but I can't make you stay here until—"

"If I leave, Kageyama will kill me." There is a look of clear devastation and fear on his face as he tells her this. Apparently Hinata intends to take his duty _very_ seriously, for more reasons than one.

"Y-you're being silly..."

_She doesn't know,_ he thinks in the back of his mind. _She hasn't seen... that look on his face..._

"You can go in for now," Hinata encourages, resuming his usual cheerful persona.

Although she seems a bit hesitant, a quick glance at her watch sends Yuzuha into panic mode. "O-oh no, I should have already—"

"Can I help?"

"D-do you mind? Won't... I be inconveniencing you?"

"Nope, leave it to me!"

The two of them get to working quickly together. And contrary to the guard duty that he should be doing, Hinata has instead been enlisted to help her open the store. It is supposed to end there, until she receives the abrupt call from her uncle that he won't be able to make it in today because he's caught a cold. The troubled look on Yuzuha's face encourages Hinata to volunteer his help.

It's not but a few hours later that Yuzuha is manning the front register while he awkwardly fumbles through the aisles, trying to figure out where to stock which items. And ultimately he's left with question marks floating above his head as he scrambles back and forth, clearly _unclear_ on how he's supposed to be organizing everything.

Not long after, Yuzuha seems to decide that he might be better off at the register. She takes a lot of caution in detailing the job to him. And while she takes over stocking the shelves, he's struggling with squinted eyes to figure out how to properly scan the bar codes and rattle off the totals—in a voice that is all too boisterous.

"Why are you working a register?" Kageyama asks with a glare when he enters.

"Yuzu-chan's uncle is sick," Hinata explains with a boastful smile, clearly proud of himself for stepping up to the plate. "So I volunteered to help!"

"It's going to get a lot busier when the lunch hour hits. We should probably switch for a bit so you can get a break, Hinata-kun." She's carrying a heavy box in her arms as she approaches the front counter, clearly focused on balancing it in her arms—so she hasn't even seemed to realize that Kageyama is standing right there.

Seeing her struggle with the weight of it, Kageyama sighs and steps into her path, quickly lifting the box away. She seems to freeze up at first until her eyes land on him and then suddenly her face lights up.

"K... Kageyama-kun!"

Some part of him feels a little proud that she is working so earnestly after initially deciding to quit. But at the same token, something about seeing her force herself to take it all on her shoulders without a single complaint annoys him. "I'll help," he says decisively.

"Really..?" There is a look of relief on her face for a moment and then she realizes what she has said. "N-No, I mean... I don't want to trouble you..."

"The trouble is that personality of yours," he mumbles under his breath. Fortunately she doesn't seem to catch it. "So what am I supposed to do?"

About half an hour later, he's in the appropriate uniform—although a size too large to fit him comfortably—and placed behind the register. She's sitting nearby, rattling off directions as he checks out his first customer. And he thinks to himself that it was a big mistake to get involved in this. Yet whenever he looks over at her for confirmation that he's working successfully, she beams back at him.

"Yuzu-chan, you should take your lunch break! Aren't you hungry?" Hinata pipes in once he's finished his own meal in the back room. Since he didn't bring anything, Yuzuha decided to offer half of her own packed lunch. He didn't seem to have much compunction about taking her up on it either, much to Kageyama's dissatisfaction.

"A-actually, um... if you two don't mind looking after the store... I-I was going to go back home and get some things." She's combing her hair over her eyes again, clearly feeling nervous about whatever she is planning.

Just as Kageyama is about to ask her what she wants to go back for, Hinata cuts in and says, "Yeah! Leave it to us!"

"Sorry for troubling you two so much."

The redhead waves his hand dismissively with a high-pitched chuckle. "Don't mind!"

While the job seemed almost bearable and entertaining with her instructing him, being left alone to Hinata's confusing and frustratingly vague advisement leaves Kageyama with his patience completely drained and dangerously on the edge of blowing. Steam is almost literally rising from his head as he glares unintentionally at the next customer.

"Um... can I get some...?"

"Hah?!"

The poor child shrinks back, looking devastated and near tears. "N-Never...mind..."

"Ah! Trading cards?" Hinata guesses, peeking over the counter and grinning at the child. "Yuzu-chan said they're back here. Which ones do you want?"

That does seem to be what the child wants, and once they have settled that, Kageyama silently rings up the items and reads him the total. Once the money has been exchanged, the poor kid beats a hasty retreat.

"Are you not good with kids?" Hinata wonders out loud as he studies his teammate's face.

"Shut up. It has nothing to do with kids." And everything to do with Hinata.

Kageyama decides it is taking Yuzuha way too long to get back. He is even starting to contemplate calling her. No matter how many times he checks the screen of his phone, he hasn't received any sort of notification that she's on her way back. It almost makes him feel paranoid as he starts creating various scenarios in his head. Could she have run into that old classmate she was talking about before?

"I'm going to go put the boxes over there in the back," Hinata cuts into the setter's thoughts. "You should be able to take care of the register by yourself now. Be right back!" He gives a brief, comical salute before dashing out from behind the counter and scooping the empty boxes into his arms.

_He's having too much fun with this,_ Kageyama thinks to himself.

It is while his companion is gone that another person enters the shop—indicated by the echo of the chime. Kageyama recites his usual welcome message that Yuzuha taught him. After a few moments, the customer approaches the front desk with their items. And he only briefly notes that the person is a boy about their age, but not a classmate of his as far as he can tell.

"Is... Sakurai not here today?" The boy asks.

Kageyama freezes at the question, his brows furrowing. It doesn't take a second for him to catch on and figure out that this must be the culprit behind the bullying. And while he wasn't sure at first how he would react if he met the person responsible, now he wants to grab him by the collar. The willpower it takes to hold back his mounting anger is astounding. But his foul mood still comes out on his face—which contorts into a maniacal smile as he tilts his head. "Why do you want to know?" Even his voice sounds menacing.

Perhaps completely oblivious to the other person's intent, the boy looks away for a moment. "I wanted to apologize to her, but I think she's avoiding me." He hesitates for a minute. "No... it makes sense if she's avoiding me."

"You just want to apologize to make yourself feel better," Kageyama guesses. His hands tighten into fists as he glowers at the other person.

There is a look of surprise on the other person's face, those dark brown eyes of his going wide. But almost as quickly he recovers. "Are you... Sakurai's friend?"

"That's right." The setter cocks his head back, crossing his arms over his chest. He is not consciously trying to be intimidating, but it's clearly working to his favor nonetheless.

Despite Kageyama's impressions, the other person seems to be relieved at the answer. Then his expression seems to sober as he looks up into Kageyama's eyes with great resolve. "Please... punch me!" He smacks his hand against his cheek, as though indicating where Kageyama should aim.

"...what?" Clearly taken aback, the taller boy can't help but voice his confusion and uncertainty. Not that he has any reservations about slugging the other man. He clearly deserves it for what he put Yuzuha through, although Kageyama isn't keen on all the details.

"I'm the one who started bullying Sakurai in middle school," the boy admits. "But it wasn't long after that and I was the one who was being bullied by the other students. It took a while before I really realized what I had put her through..."

"You don't get it at all," Kageyama argues back. "If you understood then you wouldn't come here and try to apologize."

That seems to startle the other boy. "Of course I need to apologize!"

"No, you don't! You just want to apologize for your own self-satisfaction, and because you know that she will forgive anyone. If you cared about how she feels, you wouldn't be trying to soothe your own ego." Maybe the reason that he is so indignant about the matter is because, on some level, Kageyama can sympathize. The more you get to know Yuzuha, the more you feel like you will be forgiven for anything you do. So it's easy to do something to her without thinking about the consequences, because you can just apologize later. But honestly, someone so willing to take advantage of that isn't someone worthy of her forgiveness. This person in front of him symbolizes everything that Kageyama doesn't want to be to Yuzuha.

The brunette boy grits his teeth in frustration, clearly in strong disagreement with Kageyama's sentiments about the matter. "It's not for my sake," he protests. "I honestly think she deserves to have an apology for the things I did."

"She doesn't need it," Kageyama bristles with just as much insistence. "She is joining the photography club. We eat lunch together every day. Eventually she'll make friends in her own class. She is already moving forward. Don't come here uninvited and set her back!"

It isn't until their argument has almost reached its conclusion at this point that Kageyama catches something in his peripheral vision. When he looks up, he realizes that the very person they have been discussing so passionately is standing there at the entrance to the store. Those green eyes are staring down intensely at her feet and she seems to be struggling internally.

"Sakurai...?" That _bully_ seems to have noticed her, too.

She looks a little startled when he calls out to her. But she does find the strength to finally look up, and while Kageyama expects her to start crying, she has a look of resolve in her eyes. "Tanaka-kun... I... I don't want an apology. I'm... happy with school now and I have friends. So... please leave!" The fact that she declares her feelings so boldly leaves Kageyama stunned.

Although he looks a bit bitter about accepting the request, the person called Tanaka moves toward the door. He pauses as he nears it and turns to her, and at that moment, Kageyama is tempted to crawl over the counter and toss him out like a sack of unwanted garbage.

"You're making good friends," Tanaka mutters dejectedly before he leaves.

The store is eerily quiet for a few minutes. Then, as though on cue, Hinata pops out of the backroom and skips in without a care in the world. "Ah! Yuzu-chan, you came back!" He exclaims delightedly, blissfully unaware of what just transpired. Without even realize he's waltzing across eggshells, Hinata marches right up to her with that stupidly cheerful grin. However, the moment he gets close enough to Yuzuha, all color drains from his face. "Yuzu...chan?"

The tears have welled up and spilled from the ducts of her eyes, rapidly streaming down her face as she raises her a hand defensively to try to shield the sight from their eyes. "I... I did it," she sniffles out. "I told... him to leave..."

Kageyama sighs in relief when he realizes that she's not in tears because she feels guilty, but because she's proud of herself for being able to say it herself. Maybe she didn't need him or Hinata to rush to her defense. She's beginning to surprise him with just how capable she really is when it comes down to it.

—

"To thank you both for all of your help... I brought watermelon for us all to eat together." She smiles as she peels the lid off of the tupperware, revealing the sliced pieces that she has brought back with her. It looks delicious.

Hinata doesn't hold back and eagerly plucks one out for himself. He takes one chomp and then suddenly he has a blissful look on his face. "It's not summer without watermelon," he decides with a dreamy look.

Kageyama bops him over the head, unsure of what reason he should cite for doing so. Because he stole for the first piece without hesitation? Because he completely missed everything that just happened earlier with that Tanaka person? Either way, he definitely deserves a smack.

"Oww..."

"Um... your piece, Kageyama-kun." There is a rosy color to her cheeks as she holds it out to him shyly, those hooded eyes directed toward the ground as she waits patiently for him to accept it.

Although he usually wears a fairly grim expression, he can't help but smile when he looks at her. This is one of the first times he hasn't been struggling to tamp down his annoyance around her. Rather, he feels like a proud parent seeing her stand up for herself. "You... did good," he mumbles awkwardly, unsure of how to appropriately deliver his praise.

Her cheeks turn a darker shade of red as she retrieves a slice for herself and starts nibbling away. "It's... because of what you said back there. I was able to find my strength... thanks to that. Maybe... I spent a lot of time blaming him for how I feel now, but... I shouldn't waste any more time blaming anyone."

That seems to be her way of saying that she has found the resolve to truly start moving forward now. He feels relieved, and the vague, sweet taste of the watermelon as he bites into it feels seems much more satisfying because of it.

Unfortunately they have been instructed to close the store early, but Yuzuha relays the message from her uncle that he is most appreciative for all the help that he has received from them. It has turned out to be a surprisingly successful day. And by the time they close everything up and step outside together, the sun is just starting to duck behind the horizon.

"What do you two plan to do now...?" Yuzuha asks, tilting her head inquisitively.

"Practice!" Hinata decides excitedly.

"Summer homework," Kageyama says bitterly. As much as he wants to procrastinate until the last minute, he supposes that the sooner he muddles through it, the sooner he will be able to start practicing himself.

"Already?" Hinata queries with a look of devastation.

"Are you going to procrastinate until the end?" The setter guesses with a glare.

"Hinata-kun, why don't you come over tomorrow? We can all three work on it together," Yuzuha suggests with her index finger extended, as though to quite literally point out the obvious. "I'm... a pretty good student, so... I think I could help you both with your bad subjects."

The redhead's eyes seem to sparkle. He's clearly touched by the sentiment alone. "Yuzu-chan..."

There is something particularly sour about the fact that Hinata has been invited along. Kageyama even finds himself indignantly thinking, _I thought I was the one you liked. Why do you keep dragging him into everything?_ He glares pointedly at his teammate, but it does little to dissuade Hinata who seems to think his life has been saved thanks to Yuzuha's offer. It seems the three of them will be studying together regardless.

When the next day rolls around, Kageyama finds himself sitting on the same cushion he was on when he was here the last time. Only there is an extra, unwanted occupant seated at their table. This is the second time he has been in her room, but clearly the first for Hinata. The redhead seems to be utterly elated.

"Whoa... so this is a girl's room."

_You better not see her as a girl._

"It's... cute..."

_Don't you dare blush like that!_

Every time Hinata speaks a single word, Kageyama can't help but add his disapproving inner monologue to it. And while Yuzuha seems immersed in rapidly solving each equation on the page in front of her, Hinata is struggling nearby while balancing his pencil on his nose. He seems to have no intention of actually applying himself. Likewise, Kageyama feels like he's ramming himself face-first into a brick wall... repeatedly.

"Is... there something you don't understand here...?" Although she was concentrating quietly just a moment ago, Yuzuha ends up scooting closer to him while he's busy trying to figure out how to even interpret this math problem. When she leans a little closer, he gets a whiff of her perfume. The sweet flowery scent just seems to get his heart pound—wait... what?!

He stiffens as she reaches for the page, pulling it toward her to examine the problem that he's been stuck on. "Oh, this one... um... Kageyama-kun?"

Crap. Crap, crap, crap. If he looks at her, for some reason his eyes are immediately drawn to her lips. Is he stupid? What's wrong with him? Especially with Hinata here, this is completely nonsensical. He has to _wake up_. Finally he slaps his cheeks twice to force himself to concentrate. "Yeah," he answers gruffly. "That's the problem I'm stuck on."

"Me too, me too!" Hinata calls out, waving his hands emphatically as he jumps to his feet. He circles around and shoves himself between the two of them, holding his own homework sheet. "How do you solve that one, Yuzu-chan?"

Something is definitely going to have to be done about this. Going around as a threesome constantly is starting to grate on Kageyama's nerves. Normally he wouldn't have any problem with it, but for some reason, there's knots in the pit of his stomach that seem to twist painfully whenever Hinata cuts in between him and Yuzuha.

"Um... watch carefully. I'll try my best to explain it..." Watching how those small, delicate hands of hers grip the pencil and start jotting down the problem, and how she quietly and calmly explains the process—it all sends his heart pounding.

And it's then that Kageyama starts to get an inkling of what this is all about. _It can't be. Am I starting to...? Do I like her...?_


	6. 夏: role reversal

**Author's Note:** Thank you guys for all the lovely reviews, I have so much fun reading your comments. I hope you enjoy the newest chapter!

**Shiro - **Thank you so much for your wonderful comments, I get really hung-up about trying to make sure I get the canon characters characterized correctly, so I'm relieved you feel like I've done a good job with Kageyama!

**insertxcoolxnamexhere** **- **Uwwaaa, I think I should be the one saying thank you for the wonderful comments. I'm glad you like the stories! And I'm really happy that someone thinks that way about my OCs. I really try to make them a varied lot that are multi-faceted and realistic at the same time. Thank you especially for your comments on Yuzuha. I think you voiced how I feel about her perfectly too. She has some traits that can be irritating but she can also be very endearing!

* * *

_i'm suppose to be __the stronger one_

_you always seem __to prove that theory wrong_

**夏:** **role reversal****  
**

"What...?"

"Summer! Pool time!" Hinata gives sweeping gestures as he exclaims these words to him, as though they are intended to form some kind of compelling explanation as to why they all need a break from their homework. "We should go together!"

The idea smells of crowds, and while Kageyama is not particularly adverse, he knows someone who is. "I'm not interested," he says decisively, his arms crossed over his chest to emphasize that he has no intention of changing his mind.

Those jade eyes have been watching the two of them squabble from the other side of the table. Yuzuha fidgets on her cushion, feeling like a helpless onlooker. But just as she thinks they have forgotten her presence, Hinata wiggles over to her and grabs her hands, as though to implore her to assist him in convincing Kageyama.

"Don't you want to go, Yuzu-chan?"

Before she has a chance to answer, Hinata ends up taking a swift fist to the back of the head. He doubles over from the pain, clutching his wound with tears in his eyes. Yet Kageyama doesn't look the least bit apologetic as he cracks his knuckles menacingly.

"Don't bully her into it."

"I wasn't!" Hinata swears desperately. "I thought it might make a nice memory for Yuzu-chan..."

"A nice memory...?" Yuzuha's expression softens and she smiles at him. "Since I finally bought my camera, I have been wanting to use it on something... it might be nice to use it for this. If you're not completely against it, Kageyama-kun..." The way she averts her eyes seems to indicate that she still feels some hesitation about voicing her own opinion.

Kageyama sighs. "It can't be helped... if you want to go then I'll—"

"Huh?!" The redhead leaps to his feet and stares up at his teammate. "Why did you suddenly change your mind?"

"Because..."

Suddenly Hinata's voice drops into a low whisper as he asks, "Is it... because you decided you want to see Yuzu-chan in a swimsuit after all?"

Somehow he hadn't thought about it before his counterpart mentioned it. Once the image of it pops into his mind, it's difficult to erase and he can feel his cheeks heating up. The smirk on Hinata's face just pisses him off even more, and he quickly pummels him for it as soon as Hinata takes a seat again. "Idiot."

"The two of you really seem to get along."

He is not sure how she comes to this conclusion, but it's clearly not a shared consensus. Perhaps part of the reason he is so sullen is because of Hinata's comment. It's thinking about Hinata seeing Yuzuha in a swimsuit that bothers him the most. In fact, maybe this whole going-to-the-beach idea isn't so good after all.

"Um..." Those jade eyes are peering over at him, her lips trembling with unspoken words. The moment she catches him looking, she quickly averts her gaze. "Th-there's just one... little problem about going to the beach..."

This is exactly the opening that he needs to convince her that they shouldn't go. "The crowds," he guesses with a nod. "In that case—"

"No!" she exclaims, holding up her hands and shaking her head. "That's not it... um... I just don't have a swimsuit."

Even better! "Then we should find something else—"

"We can go shopping together!" Without waiting for the setter to finish his sentence, Hinata cuts in with his _brilliant_ idea. He's even wearing another stupid smile on his face because he thinks he has somehow solved their great issue and done a heroic service to them. Kageyama _really_ wants to punch him again.

"W-would... that be okay?"

Oh crap. Those pleading eyes are looking his way again, and for some reason he has lost any tolerance against them. Saying no is the equivalent of kicking a puppy in the face. "...Alright." It's a painful concession, but he has no choice. Although when he thinks about swimsuit shopping with a girl, the first thought that comes to mind is... _Embarrassing as hell._

Despite his reservations, Hinata declares that they should embark _immediately_ and find a swimsuit as soon as possible. After all, he reasons, the sooner they get one, the sooner they can all go to the beach together and get the full enjoyment of their summer vacation. Kageyama has to disagree—they were doing just fine sitting in Yuzuha's room working on their homework together.

"W-what kind... should I be looking for?" she asks when they arrive inside of a store.

"A two-piece!"

"How about this one?" Kageyama immediately selects a full body suit that a surfer might use.

"U-um... that's a bit..."

"It would look the best on you," he insists, pulling the hanger off the rack. He holds it out to her, his eyes narrowed in an imploring—almost threatening—look.

The selection clearly doesn't flatter Yuzuha, who seems a bit uneasy as she looks at the suit. "Um... wouldn't that be kind of odd...? D-do most girls at the beach wear things like that?" She looks unconvinced, turning her gaze toward Hinata as though she doesn't trust Kageyama's judgment in this area.

"How about this one?" Hinata asks, choosing to ignore his partner's choice. He holds up a white two-piece. It actually has a flattering design that evokes the image of cute rather than revealing. But that is equally problematic to Kageyama, who is instantly of the mind to reject it.

"That's... cute..."

Except that he misses his chance, and the prickling pain in his chest seems to dissuade him from voicing his dissent. Instead his lips narrow into a frown as he replaces the suit he is holding onto.

"Kageyama-kun, um... what do you think?"

Since he's invited to offer his opinion, he makes a show of stroking his chin and contemplating it. "How about this one instead?" He tries to distract them by plucking out a random one-piece with a pink polkadot pattern. If he's being honest, it probably wouldn't look very flattering on her at all. The cut is perfect to cover her up, though.

"Pick mine, Yuzu-chan!"

Somehow this has transformed into a competition, and although Kageyama can't honestly say he endorses this one, he can't back down now. His nostrils flare as he stomps over and holds his up, "This one is better."

"U-um..."

"Mine is cuter! It would look better on you!"

"Maybe we should..."

"This one is more... tasteful." It takes a moment for him to come up with a convincing word for it, although he's not sure he even believes what he is saying at this point. But now Kageyama doesn't even really care. He just wants to win—he wants to beat Hinata.

"I think I will—"

"Yuzu-chan, pick mine!"

"No, mine!"

She winces at how they bellow at her as they lean closer, mere inches from her face. She's wearing a troubled look as she snaps her eyes shut, and before the two of them can do anything, she suddenly yells, "I... I'll pick it myself!"

Both boys are shocked by the outburst and are sent reeling back, flabbergasted expressions on either of their faces. They exchange a questioning look with one another before peering back at her. It's clear to Kageyama that they must have seriously pushed her for her to react like that—considering how much of a spineless jellyfish Yuzuha typically is.

"Alright," he mumbles, the first to accept defeat.

"Y-yeah," Hinata joins in nervously. "We'll... just let you decide."

"S... sorry." Almost immediately the guilt sweeps her up and she's left staring dejectedly at the floor, as though she has committed a grave sin against the two of them. "I-I... didn't mean to... snap at you both..."

"It's fine," Kageyama cuts in before the other boy can say a word. "We crossed the line. You should pick what you want to wear." In fact, he feels a little frustrated at himself for not coming to that conclusion sooner. The two of them just immediately assumed she needed their guidance and suggestions. But while they are accompanying her, that doesn't mean she doesn't have an opinion of her own.

"Yeah! Wear what you want, Yuzu-chan!"

Their support obviously seems to encourage her. "Thank you both." She smiles at them before she starts perusing the aisles, the two of them following obediently behind her. Once they are no longer engaged in a heated exchange, Kageyama notices that the only other customers in the store are women. And he's beginning to think that he and Hinata stick out like a sore thumb.

"Um... is this one okay?"

They study the selected suit with a look of awe. It is definitely preferable to Hinata's earlier choice, considering that despite being a two-piece, the top will extend past the stomach when she wears it. The polkadot pattern on this one is also far more stylish than Kageyama's earlier pick, complete with a bow over the front. And the bottoms are a pair of black shorts. He inwardly feels proud—as though he has somehow managed to sway her without a word.

There is a unanimous nod from the pair of volleyball players, who each give a respective thumbs-up. Hinata does so with a grin, while Kageyama's expression remains unreadable and impassive. Yet he _is_ actually proud of her choice. More than anything he's feeling a bit conscious about their presence in this store.

"Should I try it on first...?"

"That's not—"

"Yeah!"

There is an inward groan from Kageyama as Hinata immediately contradicts what he's trying to say, and thereby manages to completely cut him off. He's just eager to be done with this shopping. This trip cannot end soon enough.

—

"We should've invited the whole team!"

"No, I think the three of us is fine." The dissatisfaction in Kageyama's voice is conveyed clearly. Especially considering the glum expression on his face as he stares out at the ocean. It's even more crowded than he anticipated.

"S... sorry... I know you would've liked to come with your other friends..."

"That's not what I meant, Yuzu-chan! But the more the merrier, right? We could have gotten some good practice on the beach, in the sand..." His eyes are sparkling with all of the possibilities, and it's clear that he's not the least bit concerned about relaxing. The thought of practicing is more alluring to Hinata.

The black-haired setter breathes a quiet sigh. He can't say he disagrees. Passing up a good opportunity to practice is not within his nature. Yet in that same vein, he couldn't bring himself to just abandon Yuzuha on the sidelines even if they were here with the whole team. It's a moot point, though—it's just the three of them. The upperclassmen are busy today anyways, so it was perfect to plan their outing for today.

"Kageyama-kun... could... you help me with this umbrella?"

"Sure."

It is a bit of a struggle to pop it open, but once they have managed to secure it into the ground, it provides the perfect amount of shade for two people. Alas, the dilemma arises that they have _three_ people here at the beach.

"The ocean!" Hinata screams at the top of his lungs, racing toward the beach with his arms extended to the side. He's like an overexcited child without the patience to wait for the other two. He dodges past other people and keeps bulldozing on until he hits the water.

"Um... but shouldn't we... put on sunscreen first?"

"Let him burn," Kageyama says scornfully, his arms crossed firmly over his chest as he takes a seat under the umbrella beside her. It takes a moment for him to recognize the close proximity, and he can't help but watch her out of the corner of his eye.

She's wearing a white one-piece over her swimsuit, and that silver hair is swept back into a messy bun that spills a few loose locks across her shoulders. The most surprising part is that she's wearing a small smile on those thin, pale lips of hers. She's hugging her knees as she sits on the towel beside him, watching Hinata play with a look of amusement on her face.

"I should probably put some on," she mutters to herself, reaching for the bottle. A sweet scent fills the air as she smothers it across her arms, gently dabbing her fingers against her face to apply it there as well. It almost seems to make her skin glisten when the rays of the sun manage to catch it, and it's at that point that he notices just how pale she is.

"You really plan on going down there?" Kageyama asks with a look of disinterest. It's clear that he has no intention of leaving his spot. In fact, he was reluctant to come in the first place. The only reason he's here is because he's decidedly against leaving Yuzuha alone with Hinata.

"Um... wasn't that the point of coming...?"

"There is a shaved ice stand over there," he points out, peeking out from the umbrella. There is a long line up there waiting already, but it's preferable to joining up with Hinata.

"Before... we go out... d-do you want me to put some sunblock on your back?" The way her cheeks heat up and she stutters as she says it makes him think she must be having some pretty _strange_ thoughts.

"No point," he dismisses quickly. "I won't be out there that long."

"B-but..."

"Let's go." He grabs her by the wrist, dragging her out into the sun. The heat is near unbearable, especially with the scorching sand licking at the heels of their feet as they hurry up toward the line of people waiting by the shaved ice stand. Fortunately there is an awning that provides some shade. The two of them quickly duck beneath it together.

There is quiet chatter in the line as people eagerly wait, their purses and wallets in hand. Yuzuha seems to look a bit glum for some reason—although it takes him a moment to realize why. In their haste to run up here, she must have left the bag she brought behind.

"You don't have your purse," he observes.

"S-sorry... c-could you wait here? I'll go get it..."

He grabs her by the wrist before she can even attempt to leave. "I'll pay."

Those green eyes go round in surprise. "O-oh, you don't have to do that..."

"You can pay me back later." Although he's honestly not concerned about the money. It seems like if he offers to foot the bill, she will just end up protesting and become more insistent about going and getting her purse.

"We should get one for Hinata-kun too."

His grip on her wrist tightens, although he doesn't realize it until she seems to wince from the pressure. Kageyama quickly releases her. He feels almost apologetic, but there's also a stinging pain in his chest. "We don't have to get one for him," he mumbles bitterly.

"But he'd probably like one too..."

Why is she so concerned about him? It bothers Kageyama. The more time they spend together, the less certain he feels about their relationship. They may have gone to the aquariam with just the two of them. But that trip doesn't seem to have amounted to much.

A sudden tug at the base of his shirt gets his attention, and he realizes that Yuzuha is smiling up at him. "Um.. what flavor do you plan on getting?"

"What about you?"

"I kind of want cherry, but there's blue berry too..." The decision seems to be difficult for her. She studies the flavors on the chart hanging above the clerk manning the stand. "It's too bad I couldn't have a little bit of both."

That gives him an idea, although he feels a little out of place and embarrassed suggesting it. "We could get both and share..." It definitely sounds twice as mortifying once he's said it, and he's blushing up to his ears.

"R-really...? You'd be okay with that?"

He almost feels a little disappointed at her reaction. In fact, she doesn't seem the least bit flustered. Is he really the only one feeling anything by being this close, by the thought of sharing shaved ice with her?

"I wonder what flavor we should get for Hinata."

Although he is sure she isn't doing it on purpose, hearing her fuss over the redhead again just dampens his mood even more. Kageyama can tell already that his patience isn't going to last. Coming to the beach as three people was a _huge_ mistake.

Once they have their shaved ice, the two of them return to their spot on the beach. Sinking onto the towel beneath the umbrella, Kageyama takes a bite out of his. It's so cold that his tongue almost feels numb. He can feel it going straight to his brain as he swallows.

"A-are you okay? Is it a cold headache?"

He waves her off and holds out his shaved ice toward her. "You wanted to try this flavor, right?"

Despite momentary hesitation, she leans down and takes a small bite. A few ice crystals sit on her lips as she seems to savor the flavor with a smile. "It's really good."

Kageyama stares silently at her lips as he returns the cone toward his mouth and takes another bite himself. The sweetness is almost cavity-inducing. He turns his eyes back toward the ocean, just in time to see Hinata racing up the sloping sand toward them.

"We went to the shaved ice stand. Here's yours, Hinata-kun." Yuzuha, who has been holding both her own cone as well as the one they had procured for Hinata, passes the redhead his. "I hope you don't mind the flavor."

"Nope! This one is good!" The bright scarlet red color of the ice seems to match his hair fairly well. Maybe that was why Yuzuha chose the cherry flavor for him. And as though he is completely immune to cold headaches, Hinata seems to chomp right through the ice—the crystals smeared across his cheeks as he heartily devours the whole cone before they're even halfway done with theirs.

It provokes laughter from Yuzuha, who points a trembling finger at his face. Through the random spurt of giggles, she can scarcely form the coherent words to point out to him what should already be obvious.

"You have it all over your face," Kageyama complains when Hinata stares dumbfoundedly back at Yuzuha.

"Oh!"

Just as Hinata is about to wipe it on the back of his hand, Kageyama quickly pulls out a napkin from Yuzuha's bag. "Here," he says, the exasperation clear in his voice.

"At least it made you laugh, Yuzu-chan!"

Although he momentarily manages to distract himself at times, watching the two of them smiling at each other just makes him sulk. Kageyama draws himself up into a corner under the umbrella, averting his eyes. He doesn't want to watch them enjoy themselves together any more than he has already been forced to.

While he is doing that, he barely perceives the sound of hushed whispers from Hinata and Yuzuha. They don't last long before Hinata suddenly declares, "I have to go to the bathroom! I will be back!" He says it a little too loudly.

"You don't have to tell us that," Kageyama growls back at him in annoyance.

The redhead just grins broadly at him before racing off across the sand.

Once he's gone, the silver-haired girl peers back at Kageyama. She's wearing a nervous smile on her lips as she turns her gaze to the ground. "Um... I-I asked him to... leave."

"...hah?" The setter is dumbfounded by this update. Why would she send Hinata away? She seems like she has more fun with him anyways.

Suddenly she lifts her camera out of her bag. "Do... you mind if I..."

It's a little embarrassing if she asks outright like that, but he just gives a shrug.

He can hear the sound of the zoom activating before there is a momentary, blinding flash. Once it's over, she sinks back and admires the image with a pleased expression. "I... want to take more," she murmurs quietly. "I want to... see all the different faces you make, Kageyama-kun. Um... that is, I know I said I wouldn't ask for us to be f-friends... but we are now, right?"

"We are," he agrees, curious about where she is going with this.

"I... I'm going to be really selfish for a moment," she warns.

Somehow he's not entirely sure that it's going to be as bad as she is predicting. But he crosses his arms over his chest and watches her quietly, waiting in expectation for whatever this "selfish" thing is that she is about to do.

"I know I have a long way to go... as a person and as a girl, but... I r-really like you." She is blushing up to her ears as she sputters the words out. One hand is clasped across her chest, clutching at the fabric of her cover-up. "I-I... want to be more than friends."

For what seems like a solid minute, he just stares back at her without blinking as though he can't bring himself to believe what she just said. And stupidly rather than reciprocating or confirming her feelings, he blurts out the first thing that comes to his mind—his doubts. "But you have more fun with Hinata."

Even Yuzuha seems confused by this remark. "H-huh? Hinata-kun is fun to be around, but... that's different."

"How is it different?" he asks bitterly.

"B-because...!" Suddenly she reaches a trembling hand toward him, grasping onto his wrist. Kageyama hesitantly allows her to coax him into scooting closer. Then suddenly she guides his palm into resting just above her heart. At first he's flustered because her chest feels soft, even if it's small and—what the heck is she doing?! "C-can you feel?"

He can definitely feel! But he's not sure if that's what she wants him to feel or not!

"M-my heart only... does this when I'm around you..."

Those words manage to clear his head, and suddenly he's focusing instead on the quick, rhythmatic thumping that beats against the palm of his hand. With great embarrassment, he finally understands what she's trying to get at. He also notices just how clammy her hands are. This is a clear sign of her anxiety.

Once she seems to think he has realized, she quickly lets go of his hand. "S-sorry... for suddenly..."

His nostrils flare in determination as he grabs her hand up in his and guides her palm to rest against his chest. A blush immediately springs to her cheeks as she gazes questioningly up at him until she feels it.

"Mine too!" He declares loudly, feeling a little bitter about the fact that she was the first one to admit how she feels.

"Th-then... do you also...?"

"Y... yeah." Despite how confident he felt just a moment ago, that all seems to ebb away in the face of the hopeful look on her face. Once again he is left feeling embarrassed. Annoyed at himself, he quickly repeats it more firmly, "Yeah, I like you."

"C-can... can I... h-hug you?"

Rather than being annoyed at how long it takes for her to stutter the words out, he can't help but think instead that it's almost an endearing trait now. A clear-headed Kageyama would say that is absolutely absurd. But the more he looks at her, the more cloudy his head feels. So without even thinking twice about it, he wraps his arms around her shoulders and draws her closer. He doesn't even stop to consider that they're in the middle of the beach and people could be _watching_.

Her cheek bumps against his chest, and for a moment she is stunned and unable to do anything. Then at last she hesitantly wraps her arms around him. Her embrace is so gentle that he almost wonders if he's imagining it.

"You're not... making fun of me, right? This isn't a dream... right?"

"Should I pinch you to find out?"

Although he's asking a genuine question, she just giggles at him. "N-no..." Before the embarrassment of being seen this close in public can register for either of them, she extracts herself and nervously peers up at him. "D-does this mean... that the two of us are... can we be..."

There she goes struggling with her words again. Every time he thinks that she's started to overcoming that habit of hers, it rears its ugly head. But this time he tries to exercise his patience by waiting for her to say what she wants to say.

"Th-that is... the two of us... together... could we be..."

"Just say it," he finally snaps at her impatiently. And immediately he blanches, realizing that despite the good atmosphere they had a moment ago—and how endearing he'd thought, for just a second, her stuttering was, he's already proven that he can only handle it in small doses. "No, I mean..."

"I want to date Kageyama-kun!" she blurts out finally, clearly flustered because he barked at her. The moment she realizes she has finally said it, she sinks back, covering her face with her hands. "S-sorry, I... I..."

Fearing that she is on the verge of tears, he panics. "Okay! Let's do that! Just don't—"

Before he can even finish the sentence, she has dropped her hands away from her face and the tears are already pouring down her cheeks. It's too late. The waterworks have already started. "I-I'm just... c-crying because I'm h-happy!"

He sighs in exasperation. Maybe he doesn't entirely realize what he's just agreed to by saying that the two of them can date. But if their feelings are mutual, then this should be the natural next step... right?


	7. 夏: moving ahead together

**Author's Note:** Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and for sticking around this long! With this last chapter, the story is concluded. I really enjoyed writing this story a lot, so I hope you enjoyed reading. I won't rule out the possibility of a sequel in the future but at this point it's improbable since I have other projects on my plate. I will be posting more Haikyuu fics in the next couple of weeks for anyone interested though!

* * *

_your skin like gravity_

_is pulling every part of me,_

_i fall, you and i collide_

**夏:** **moving ahead together**

"You're dating Yuzu-chan."

His whole body freezes up. They are in the middle of practice, and although the upperclassmen are standing a few feet away, Kageyama feels chagrined at the thought that they might overhear. He tightens his grip on the volleyball in his hand as he approaches the red-head who pales considerably as he recognizes that menacing look the setter is giving him. "How did you hear about that?"

Realizing that he may have opened pandora's box with his remark, Hinata shrinks back. "Y-Yuzu-chan told me," he squeaks out.

There is something mildly infuriating about the thought that she actually confided that tidbit in Hinata, but he supposes that it won't remain a secret for long anyways. Now that school has resumed again, if they end up meeting after school, people are bound to notice one way or another. Besides the fact that they have been eating lunch together for some time. That should be enough to rouse rumors—not that Kageyama is particularly fussed about that.

_It's the upperclassmen finding out,_ he thinks grimly as he peers over at Nishinoya and Tanaka who seem to be ogling Shimizu again. If the two of them discovered, they would probably tease him the most.

"Don't tell anyone," Kageyama says, a flash of murderous intent in his eyes as he lifts the volleyball in his hand—as though to say he won't be giving Hinata _any_ balls in practice if he doesn't comply.

Yet while he expects the red-head to silently acquiesce, instead Hinata is averting his eyes with a guilty look on his face.

"You... you didn't..." His grip tightens considerably on the volleyball as he imagines it to be Hinata's head, and how much he would like to crush it right now.

"W-wait!" Hinata exclaims, holding out a hand. His loud voice gains the attention of the upperclassmen, who peer over curiously to see what their latest squabble is about this time.

Kageyama drops the volleyball and slaps his hand over Hinata's mouth. "Come with me," he growls out as he drags his helpless companion out of the gym and toward the club room. The shorter boy has no choice but to allow it. Once he has him cornered in the club room, Kageyama debates between pressing him for details or beating him to a bloody pulp.

"I didn't tell everyone!" Hinata quickly says once he's managed to peel the setter's hand away from his lips. He backs away with his hands raised defensively. "I only told a few people! People who already knew!"

"Already knew?" The anger gradually drains away from his face, and instead he turns pensive. Who could possibly already know? And then he realizes that he has asked a few other people for advice in the past. Perhaps they had naturally concluded that something would result. "Sugawara-senpai and Azumane-senpai?"

Relief fills the shorter boy's face as he gives a jerky nod. "Un! I just told them."

Those two knowing doesn't pose a problem. They probably realize that telling Tanaka or Nishinoya would be a terrible idea, so they'll keep their mouths shut. "You should have said so to begin with."

A vein pops on Hinata's head in annoyance as he thinks to himself, _you didn't even give me the chance to say a word..._

"But why are you bringing it up in the middle of practice?"

"I heard you have a date this weekend!"

Kageyama's eye twitches. "Did she tell you that too?"

"Yep!" he answers in a high-pitched voice.

The taller boy slaps his hand over his face in exasperation. He curses the fact that Hinata has become Yuzuha's best friend, and as a result, she seems to want to confide _everything_ in him. This, he suspects, will become even more troublesome in the future.

"You've never been on a real date before, right?"

"W-who said I haven't?" Kageyama responds defensively, his arms crossing over his chest. He has been on one—as far as he is concerned. Going to the aquarium was kind of like a date, right? That should count as experience enough.

"I asked the upperclassmen for some tips and compiled this for you!" Hinata declares proudly as he holds out a folded sheet of paper.

That goofy grin that the redhead is giving him puts Kageyama ill at ease as he accepts the proffered item, cautiously unfolding it. His eyes flit across the vague title line _'Tips and Tricks for a First Date.'_ Part of him feels a little apprehensive about taking their advice, but at the same time, he wonders if it might actual help him avoid making her cry _again_.

—

"Sakurai-san, would you mind taking Akiyama-san to the infirmary?"

They are in the middle of home economics when the teacher approaches her, guiding another female student to her. Since Yuzuha has already finished early, the professor seems to think she is the best candidate.

The other girl, whose chestnut brown hair is drawn back in a high pony-tail, smiles brightly at Yuzuha despite the large cut she is sporting on her finger. A paper towel has been temporarily wrapped around it to stanch the blood flow.

"U-um, okay..." Although she feels a little hesitant, she motions for the other girl to follow her, and the two make their way down the hall toward the nurse's office. Yuzuha can't help but occasionally glance back with a nervous expression on her face. "A-are you... o-okay?"

"Yeah! I'm just really clumsy with knives," the girl confesses in a surprisingly loud voice.

The exuberant tone catches Yuzuha by surprise, and she can't help compare this girl to Hinata. Their heights are even comparable—considering that both of them only come up a little past Yuzuha's chin. Thinking of them as being similar makes her feel a little more comfortable being near this girl—Akiyama, the teacher called her?

"Is it okay if I call you Yuzuha-chan?" the girl asks excitedly while Yuzuha is preoccupied with her thoughts.

"O-oh, um... sure...?"

That prompts a satisfied grin from the other girl. "You seem really nice!"

This is the first time anyone from her class has ever really talked to her, let alone given her a compliment. "Um... thank you..." Her cheeks grow warm and she turns her gaze away as they keep walking together down the hallway.

"My name is Akiyama Hikari!"

"S-Sakurai Yuzuha... b-but you already know my name..."

"Did you already know mine, too?" Hikari asks excitedly, pointing a finger toward her face—the same one that still seems to be gushing blood. The white paper towel has been colored a dark red, as though illustrating their need to hurry. Even though Hikari hasn't voiced a single complaint yet, but they have been walking a bit slow.

"W-we should hurry..." Yuzuha mumbles, changing the subject. She picks up the pace, ushering Hikari to hurry the rest of the way to the infirmary.

When they finally get there, the nurse treats the wound quickly while Yuzuha fidgets at the corner of the room, a bit anxious. "Akiyama, school barely started again. How many times has the teacher told you to be careful? Why are you even allowed to handle a knife?" The woman frowns as she finishes taping the gauze around the younger girl's finger. "There you go."

Hikari just smiles sheepishly in response. "Sorry for my carelessness, and thank you for treating my wounds today, Sensei," she says, like it's a practiced line she has had to recite many times in the past.

"Well, you're free to go back to class now."

Relieved from hanging around in there any longer, both Yuzuha and Hikari duck out the door and start down the hallway back toward the classroom. "Thanks for waiting for me," the brunette says as they walk together.

"H-huh? Oh... i-it was no problem," Yuzuha responds haltingly. She isn't even entirely sure that she deserves such words of gratitude. The teacher is the one who instructed her to go with Hikari. So it's natural that they would go there and return together.

For some reason, those bright brown eyes seem to be watching Yuzuha closely. And within a few short moments, Hikari breaks out into an appreciative grin. "I really like you, Yuzuha-chan! I kind of always wanted to talk to you before, but it was kind of intimidating. I got the feeling you didn't want to talk to anybody... but now I think I totally misunderstood you."

Those words really catch her by surprise. Both because she has never really thought of herself as intimidating, and because she can't even begin to fathom someone wanting to talk to her. Yuzuha's eyes go wide as she gradually slows her pace to a stop. She wrings her hands nervously as she tries to piece together the words she wants to say. "U-um..."

"Oh!" Hikari's face blanches with a realization. "Did that hurt your feelings? I'm sorry!"

"N-no... I just... it made me happy, Akiyama-san."

There is a short pause, and then Hikari's expression turns sour. "Can you call me more familiarly than that? Hikari is fine. I want to be friends with you, Yuzuha-chan. Is that okay? Can we be friends?" Her excitement is clearly building, because she leans close toward Yuzuha with every word, earnestly imploring the other girl to respond favorably.

Feeling at a bit of a disadvantage, Yuzuha nevertheless gives a short, jerky nod. "Th-then, Hikari-san... um... w-we can be friends."

"Really?!"

"Y-yeah..."

—

"S-so, th-that's why... if it's okay with you... s-she wants to..."

"You don't mind do you?" Hikari cuts straight through Yuzuha's stuttering to voice the basic question that her new friend is trying to get at.

There is instantly something amiss here, although Kageyama cannot quite place his finger on it. Maybe it is that stupidly happy expression the short girl is wearing that seems reminiscent of someone else he knows. Just looking at it starts to annoy him for some reason, and yet he is not entirely sure why.

"Kageyama!" He hears someone shout his name through the crowd of people moving through the hallway. It is hard to spot the source at first, until he sees a leaping head of red hair that manages to break away and head in his direction.

Then suddenly the realization hits him. The reason he is not particularly fond of this new friend that Yuzuha has presented is because they already have one annoyingly loud chibi, he can scarcely afford his patience to deal with _two_ of them. But the hopeful look on her face hardly gives him room for any argument.

"Oh!" Hinata exclaims with a gasp of realization, throwing his finger toward Yuzuha and her new friend. "Yuzu-chan, you have a friend?!"

Hikari tilts her head at this new arrival. "Who is he?" she asks quietly, the question directed to the taller girl beside her.

"O-oh, um... this is Hinata."

"So the tall one is your boyfriend? Not the short one?"

"You're short, too!" Hinata complains indignantly.

The setter groans inwardly as he can already tell that this is going to be a noisy lunch period for them. If this starts happening every lunch period, he can expect that the word "peace" will fly out of their daily dictionary.

"B-boyfriend..." The silver-haired girl repeats the word shyly, her cheeks heating up. She glances momentarily at Kageyama before looking down at her shoes, fiddling with the hem of her shirt as though to distract herself. "Y-yeah..."

Eventually Kageyama manages to convince their group to start migrating up to the rooftop so they can eat lunch. Hikari and Hinata don't voice any complaints—and soon enough the two of them are exchanging animated conversation while entirely forgetting the two respective friends behind them. Yuzuha just trails after them, a slight distance between herself and Kageyama. She peers over at him occasionally, her face flushing the moment he returns her gaze.

"You seem to be getting along," he comments. It's idle banter, not something he is terribly skilled at, but he realizes the importance of her being able to make friends from her own class.

Her finger soon finds a strand of hair that she proceeds to twirl as they walk, as though to distract herself from her own nervousness. "Um... y-yeah... it's kind of nice. She's a lot like Hinata-kun, so it makes her... easy to talk to."

Certainly not phrasing Kageyama would be keen on using himself, but he can see her point. She seems to have the easiest time with people who are unnecessarily loud. Perhaps because she prefers to be the quiet one that sits back and listens. It rather makes them an odd pairing when he thinks about it. Yet when he's with her, he somehow feels like he wants to talk.

On the way to the rooftop, Yuzuha offers to be the one making the detour to get the drinks for everyone. Neither Hinata nor Hikari seem particularly fussed with letting her take on the job herself—they instead scurry off to the cafeteria, claiming that they'll get sandwiches first before meeting Kageyama and Yuzuha up there.

It occurs to Kageyama at this point that he's had this odd nagging sensation in the back of his head for a while now. It's as though every time he might part with Yuzuha, he feels this horrible worrying sensation. He almost feels like a mother hen—because he's too anxious to just leave her alone. Possibilities keep popping up into his mind, all of her getting into trouble. It sounds ridiculous to him to think about it, but that doesn't change his anxiety.

"U-um... you could have gone ahead without me..."

Apparently she seems to have caught on to his doting as well. "It wasn't out of the way," he says quickly. If the way he averts his eyes isn't utterly suspicious then perhaps Yuzuha is completely clueless—and if so, he can count himself lucky.

"Are... you worried about me?"

Nope, she's not clueless and he's not lucky. "Who said I was worried?" He snaps back, incredulous. Almost immediately he regrets it, realizing that he raised his voice at her.

Yet despite his fear that she might shrink away or retreat in fear, she just looks back at him with surprise. And then her expression gradually changes to reveal her disappointment. "O-oh...? Sorry... that was presumptuous of me."

That has the effect of making him feel even worse, and he groans inwardly as he watches her punch in the buttons on the vending machine. How is he supposed to fix this situation? Now she's misunderstood. "I'm not not worried about you."

"Not... not worried?" She seems flabbergasted by his wording.

"Yeah. That's right." Kageyama tries to play it off, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away. But he realizes just how ridiculous he sounds and his cheeks start to heat up in embarrassment.

There is a short pause and then Yuzuha erupts into a fit of giggles as she tries to juggle all of the drinks in her arms. She almost stumbles as she starts toward the stairs, and he reaches out a hand to help steady her. "S-sorry," she says, struggling to wipe away the tears in her eyes. "If... you are worried about me, I'm really happy."

Although he feels a little defeated given that she saw through him completely, for some reason he doesn't mind being laughed at. Hearing her laugh actually makes him happy somehow. Especially since Yuzuha is the kind of person that rarely lets her guard down long enough to show any genuine emotions like that. She's usually a nervous stuttering mess, although he has to admit she has improved in that department.

Eventually the four of them rendezvous up on the rooftop together. They all sprawl out lazily beneath the summer heat that is only just beginning to abate as the season transitions gradually to autumn. The shade barely affords them enough protection, and Kageyama still notices beads of sweat on Yuzuha's forehead as she presents the lunch box she made.

"I... r-remembered this t-time..."

"No fair!" Hinata pipes in, peeking over Kageyama's shoulder while chewing noisily on a bite of his sandwich. "I want some!"

Kageyama slaps his hand over his companion's face, shoving him back. "This one is mine," he says with a threatening gleam to his eyes as he snatches it up. Although typically he is not quite _this_ excited about lunch, it does feel nice to have someone make him something. And the first bite turns out to be incredibly satisfying. Much more this time than the last time she brought him lunch—which was really her own, since she had forgotten to bring his.

"I want a bite, Yuzuha-chan!"

"S-sure..."

Despite her boyfriend's insistence on being the only one to sample her food, Yuzuha seems quite lenient about sharing some of the food from her own bento box. In fact, he can see out of the side of his eye just how big of a smile she's wearing as she allows Hikari a bite.

The lunch hour turns out to be more lively than the prior ones, but maybe that isn't such a bad thing after all. Kageyama is starting to notice the subtle changes in Yuzuha—the fact that she seems to be gaining confidence and opening up more to the people around her. So maybe this new friend of hers, despite being as loud and obnoxious as Hinata, isn't all bad.

—

_**Rule number one:**__ Don't be late! Make sure you arrive at least five minutes early!_

At least that is what the '_Tips and Tricks for a First Date'_ guide tells him. He folds the paper up hastily and stuffs it into his pocket as he climbs the top of the stairs and starts out of the station. They agreed to meet in front of it to go to their destination—which, according to the guide—should be the movie theater.

_**Rule number two:**__ Take her to the movies. Every first date is the movies._

He is pretty sure that is inaccurate. Why would _everyone_ want to do the same thing? But if this dating ritual is mired in tradition, far be it from Kageyama to break it. Although he's not even well enough versed in cinema to have any _clue_ what a girl would like in a movie.

_**Rule number three:**__ Watch something that she is going to like. Make sure to let her pick it out. Making her happy is paramount!_

This, according to Hinata, means that he should not request an action or horror film. It should be something more romantic. That all seems really irrelevant to Kageyama. The only video he is interested in seeing is a review of a previous game of theirs or a one against an opponent so he can study it. That seems far more productive than watching some happy-go-lucky love tale.

Honestly, none of these rules really seem applicable in the least and he's beginning to become skeptical of the worth of this folded sheet of paper he has stowed away in his pocket. Yet he's too reliant on it to dare giving it the toss, not when a situation may come up where he doesn't have any answers and he needs some kind of reference. So he decides that there is _some_ merit in keeping it around. For now.

That is at least until he arrives at their meeting spot, five minutes early, only to discover that Yuzuha is already waiting there. He freezes when he sees her, if only because that summer dress and purple cardigan are so appropriately flattering to her figure that he feels his cheeks heating up. Her hair has been set in curly waves around her shoulders, and when she looks over at him, she smiles shyly.

"You... got here early," she comments, her gaze focused on the ground as he approaches.

"How long have you been here?" He asks, curious.

Those cheeks turn a brighter shade of red. "Oh, um... not long." The way she answers seems to indicate that she _has_ been waiting here a while. But why has she gone out of her way to be here so early? His note said five minutes early was plenty of time! What is the point of agreeing on a meeting time if they're trying to out-do each other in who gets here first?

Kageyama sighs as he smooths out his bangs. "We should get going then." Every word, every movement—everything feels so stiff and stilted. Why is it so difficult to relax? This should be no different than the time they visited the aquarium together, yet he feels like it's _completely_ different.

"O-okay..." she squeaks back, her response like a mouse as she follows behind him, wringing her hands nervously.

The way they are walking together is no different than classmates though, and Kageyama recalls the next rule that was written in his "guide."

_**Rule number four:**__ When you're walking to the movie theater, don't forget to hold her hand!_

Even though he isn't quite sure about some of the details in the guide, this is one that he suspects is accurate. He shifts his gaze back, looking at her side-long. She hasn't even been watching where she's going this whole time, and he can feel his anger flare when some ignorant passer-by happens to bump into her and send her stumbling. Kageyama has half a mind to chase the man down and grab him by the shoulder. It _pisses_ him off.

Yet just as he can feel his anger mounting, something tickles against the palm of his hand. He jerks his head back around and realizes she has come around to his other side and has shyly slipped her own hand into his. Her fingers actually feel a bit cold and clammy—a sign of just how nervous she is. And when he peers down at her, she immediately turns her gaze away.

"I-is this... o-okay?"

He gives her hand a tight squeeze. "I was planning to do it anyways," he says defensively, sulking because she managed to beat him to the punch.

The two of them enter the cinema together, and despite the rules stating explicitly that he was to avoid action and horror, Yuzuha seems quite enthused about viewing the newest blood and gore flick. Even Kageyama feels some hint of reluctance, but she seems quite excited about it—to his surprise. It makes it difficult to say no.

They purchase drinks and popcorn before heading inside, and although he might have expected her to be squeamish given the content of the film, she watches with earnest through the whole thing. It's a curious choice that he feels particular need to comment on once they have finish viewing it.

"Most girls wouldn't like that."

He realizes after that he could have worded it better, but as usual, his word vomit comes out before he can even give it a second thought. Yuzuha hardly seems bothered by this, and instead cracks a small smile. "Th... there was a doctor in it."

"A doctor?"

"I, um... I've always wanted to be a doctor." As though she doesn't have confidence in this dream of hers, she quickly looks away. "Um, so w-where should we go next...?"

This actually occurs as quite the shock to him, because he never had her pegged for a person that was interested in that kind of career. He supposes it was the classical answer for kids in elementary school, but people rarely hold onto such dreams as they get older. Maybe that explains why she's not particularly bothered by gore.

"Place we should go next..."

"W-we're not stopping here for the day... are we?"

The alarmed look on her face coaxes him to blurt out, "No, of course not." But even though he says that, he hasn't thought much beyond taking her to the movies. In fact, he doesn't have even the faintest clue about where he should be taking her next. It should be in the guide, but he can't just pull that out right in front of her, can he?

"I-I have to go to the.. b-bathroom real quick." She stutters that out so quickly he can hardly register what is going on until she has already slipped her hand out of his and started toward a cafe just down the street.

Just as she is leaving, he spots something drop out of her pocket. "Wait!" he calls after her, prompting her to turn around. "You dropped—"

"D-don't look at it!"

It is too late by the time she says that, because he's already picked it up, and the letters on the front are plain as day. _'Tips and Tricks for a Girl's First Date 3'_ it reads. He stares dumbfoundedly at it as she scurries back over toward him, snatching it out of his hands.

Clearly mortified, Yuzuha crumples the paper in between her hands. "I-I said n-not to look..."

"Did you get that from Hinata?" he asks, suspicious.

"N-no... it's from... Hikari..."

Although he realizes it will be equally embarrassing for him, he tucks his fingers into his pocket and produces the "guide" that Hinata gave to him. "I have something like that too," he confesses in a monotone voice.

A sudden wave of relief seems to sweep over Yuzuha as she nervously outstretches her hand to take the folded up paper from him. She smooths it out, eyes scanning over each rule with great interest until finally he overhears her erupting into laughter. "Th-these are the same!"

"We didn't need anything like this when we went out together last time," Kageyama recalls.

"That's right..."

His cheeks gradually color as he holds out his hand to her again. "Let's... go at our own pace then... Yuzuha." It feels a little embarrassing to call her name like that when he's so used to using 'Sakurai,' but it's like he's finally admitting that she _really is_ his girlfriend.

There is a look of unadulterated amazement on Yuzuha's face and he can already see her eyes misting over. She quickly wipes away the tears before they can even form, and quickly tucks away these unneeded "guides" into her pocket. Flashing a small smile in his direction, she happily takes his hand. "T-Tobio-kun," she stutters out with great difficulty. "P-please continue to take care of me!"

Kageyama feels even more embarrassed because of her reaction, and he quickly tugs her along toward the cafe. It seems a good place for them to sit down and talk face-to-face—something that he's gradually finding enjoyment in. "Of course... take care of me too," he mumbles.

He even notices that she is walking closer to him now than before, and her skin isn't quite so clammy. The two of them are making progress together—as a couple and as individuals. One step forward at a time.


End file.
